On 14 May 2025, IP Inclusive and Jonathan’s Voice were joined by Alex Elton-Wall and Gareth Collins – co-chairs of the UK-IPO’s Men’s Network. Alex and Gareth shared their experiences of joining, leading and growing the Men’s Network – a group with the aim of “Helping IPO men to be the best men they can be at work, for their family and friends and for themselves.”
We heard about what types of engagement and topics seem to resonate with their male colleagues at the IPO – and get them talking – on the subject of wellbeing. We also heard about how the impact of these initiatives often extends within an organisation far beyond those who actively participate – “This campaign might just have saved someone’s life.”
You can watch a recording of the session and read on for our summary of the highlights.
How it all began
Historically, the IPO saw low levels of engagement from men on mental health issues. Hoping to encourage men to open up and access support, they launched a simple campaign – ‘Men’s Support Mondays’. Each Monday a new article was published on their intranet, each written by a man and telling his own, personal story.
The campaign was initially expected to last for a month, but was extended as more men came forward to share their stories. In total, seventeen men did so, showing courage and vulnerability in addressing a wide range of issues and challenges ranging from anxiety and depression, to loss and grief, to sexuality and gender, to lack of confidence and imposter syndrome.
The campaign was a huge success with a total of over 12,500 views – that’s an average of 730 views per article, nearly twice as many as for an average IPO intranet article. Hundreds of people liked and commented on the articles, expressing gratitude and support. One comment read, “This campaign might just have saved someone’s life.”
What followed
The legacy of Men’s Support Mondays was seen not only in opening eyes and starting conversations, but it also led to more men coming forward and engaging in events and seeking support. The IPO set up Men’s Support Cafes to provide a safe space for men to open up, be vulnerable and support each other. Endorsement of the work of this group from the top was important. The impact in the IPO was huge and really helped build a sense of community among the IPO’s men.
The Men’s Network
Alex and Gareth now co-chair the steering group for the Men’s Network. Both told us how initially they had been sceptical about the value of such a group. Yet after taking an initial step to see what it was all about, both were taken by surprise at how passionate they felt about the issues discussed and the pressures men feel. They chose to become more involved, really wanting to improve engagement and see this grow.
The Network’s mission statement is restated at every meeting and is the foundation of everything they do:
To help IPO men to be the best men we can be – at work, for our families and friends, and for ourselves!
Having been reactive until recently, they chose to become more directive and focussed, setting themselves objectives for 2025/26:
- To offer support to men across the IPO, in a range of different ways.
- To help inform IPO men about a range of issues which impact them, their colleagues and their families and friends.
- To support and work in partnership with other IPO staff networks.
- To work collaboratively to reduce workplace discrimination and remove the stigma from experiencing and reporting it.
The Men’s Support Cafes continue, covering a wide range of topics including addiction; mental health and depression; being a dad (or not); sense of purpose; caring for elderly relatives; being a breadwinner (or feeling like you have to be); testicular cancer; and many more. They’ve found that the topics which feel the most risky / edgy are the ones that are most needed and valuable.
As well as providing a space to share experiences, they aim to raise awareness, remove stigma and provide signposting. Sometimes a guest speaker shares their experience, which can be extremely powerful.
What’s next at the IPO
Alex and Gareth have a range of ideas for future topics to cover in the Cafes, such as depression; divorce and relationship breakdown; and career progression and mentoring.
They also plan for a new campaign called “My idea of fun!” This will be another series of articles by men talking about how they unwind and relax.
Working with other IPO networks is also a high priority, as well as marking events such as International Men’s Day and Movember.
Feedback
Feedback at the end of our webinar was really positive, one attendee commenting:
Great talk, really interesting food for thought. Previously might have thought such men’s networks weren’t necessary, but can see how powerful they can be from this.
What’s next for us?
IP Inclusive and Jonathan’s Voice have run a series of events following on from LawCare’s 2022 report on Men’s Mental Health. This started with a round table discussion in 2023 and was followed by a number of events in 2023-2025, including conversations with James MacFarlane, Susie Bennett and Ryan Parke.
If you’d like to join the conversation as to what’s next, then please contact Rich Wells ([email protected]).
Please Get In Touch
Jonathan’s Voice would be delighted to hear from you if you’d like to discuss your own organisation’s needs in more detail. They can provide free advice, seminars, workshops, talks and other forms of support and are happy to visit you in person: contact them via their website or email [email protected].
You can contact IP Inclusive by email at [email protected].