The Men’s Networks campaign to develop a pro-male culture of public service in our city has scored a small victory.
Brighton & Hove council has created a new post targeting one of the hardest to reach special interest groups in the city – MEN!
And the team behind the post is actively seeking applications from one of the most under-represented groups in the public sector locally – that’s right……………….MEN!!!!!!
The Council’s Community Health Trainers team has recognized that its service reaches around twice as many women as men and is now taking steps to help more men access its service by creating a new post targeting men – and seeking applications to the post from men.
Community Health Trainers work 1-2-1 with people to who want to live healthier lives by motivating and supporting them to make changes in behaviour such as stopping smoking, drinking less, losing weight, exercising more and managing their stress levels.
Both men and women can apply for the post targeting men now (click here for details) and the council is welcoming applications from two under-represented groups:
- Men
- People living in the East Brighton, Moulescoomb and Bevendean
The creation of this new post targeting men is a small but significant step towards one of The Men’s Networks seven key objectives: to help develop a culture of public service that is both pro-male and pro-female.
What this means in practice is outlined in our Remember Men campaign (click here) which highlights 7 key steps the public sector can take to improve services for men and boys which include:
- HELPING MEN AND BOYS to access public services
- SUPPORTING MEN AND BOYS by identifying the barriers they face to accessing public services and helping them to overcome these barriers
- FUNDING MEN AND BOYS by putting money into services and projects that target men and boys as a distinct group
- EMPLOYING MEN AND BOYS in line with the public sector’s commitment to employ staff who reflect the diversity of the communities they serve
Glen Poole, Strategic Director of The Men’s Network said:
“Men are often second-class citizens in terms of access to public services, outcomes from public services and being represented in the public sector workforce. We’d like to congratulate the council’s Community Health Trainers team for recognizing the need to target men in this way and hope other departments will begin to follow their good example.”
The new Male Health Trainer post is hosted by Brighton & Hove City Council and is funded by NHS Brighton & Hove.
Glen Poole is UK co-ordinator for International Men's Day, Director at the consultancy Helping Men and news editor of insideMAN magazine. Follow him on twitter @HelpingMen or find out more about his work at www.helpingmen.co.uk.
Men's News From Brighton & Hove, England 
What an interesting development – why I love living in Brighton – it’s such a pioneering city!
Excellent community representation work Glen! What a great outcome…very well done to all involved!
[…] service has acknowledged that that it was reaching twice as many women and men and has begun to take actions to improve its service to men such as employing more male staff, targeting services at men and working more closely with […]
[…] supported the development of a new men’s health trainer post funded by the NHS and based at the City […]