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Men Who Talk
The charity supporting men's mental health by giving them space to talk and to be heard
STRATEGY
Samuel Davies
Founder and Director, Men Who Talk
Samuel Davies
Founder and Director, Men Who Talk
Issue 85 | September 2026
If I had a pound for every time I have heard the phrase ‘men don’t talk’, or ‘men don’t engage’ over the past four-and-a-half years since founding Men Who Talk, we wouldn’t need to rely on the generous support of organisations such as Campbell Tickell (for which we are eternally grateful) to help us spread our message that men DO talk, and when they do, everything changes.
Rethinking the men’s mental health conversation
For decades now, the conversation around men’s mental health has centred around placing the burden on men to engage in services not designed with them in mind.
As is the case with many different categories of people, men have been gently forced to try to fit into a mental health sector that has for too long seen them as a problem to solve, not a group to engage with. The good intention has always been there, I believe, but the framing has been wrong.
I often say when describing this issue, if I walked down a high street and saw a dozen shops selling products I didn’t want, I wouldn’t go in and buy any. It’s that simple really. So why do we assume any different for mental health services?
Just because we think the services might be good, doesn’t always mean they are good for everyone, and often many groups fall through the cracks.
Instead of facing this fact, however, for too long we’ve pointed the finger elsewhere. Stating that men don’t want to engage, that women are hysterical about their very real symptoms, and those from all walks of life must fit into restrictive diagnostic criteria in order to receive help.
When we flip the narrative and ask ‘why are we not being engaging enough?’, not ‘why are people not engaging with us?’, the expectation changes.
At Men Who Talk our services are based on the men we want to engage with. The onus is on us to do the hard work, and we do so with pride.
“Men have been gently forced to try to fit into a mental health sector that has for too long seen them as a problem to solve, not a group to engage with.”
Our services:
We currently run free to access online groups for men across the UK aged 18+. Our groups run weekly on Wednesday evening, Thursday evening, Saturday afternoon and Sunday evening, and our newest group on a Tuesday runs fortnightly in the evening.
‘I felt safe in the group, it was warm and supportive. The other men were open and showed vulnerability.’ Group attendee
In numbers:
304
groups have run since January 2022, with 1,606 attendances
114
of those groups (and 824 of those attendances) have come in this current year, marking a significant growth
+ 303%
increase in attendances in the first seven months of 2026, compared to the same period last year
+ 119%
increase in number of groups run over the same period – this is in large part thanks to significant investment we have received in the past 12 months
Corporate workshops:
A tailored workshop from Men Who Talk helps your team explore the barriers men face in accessing support, improve understanding across your workforce, and create a culture where everyone feels safe to talk.
‘Sam was a fantastic speaker and encouraged open conversations with kindness. He created a safe space for our participants to share their stories and experiences and welcomed any and all questions. He was knowledgeable and personable and overall delivered an interesting and informative workshop.’ Corporate workshop booker
Creating spaces where men feel heard
Men Who Talk demonstrates a simple fact: men DO talk. This age-old assumption that men don’t engage is no longer a challenge for us to overcome as an organisation. We see hundreds of men come to our groups each month of their own free will. Drawn by their desire to be seen, heard and, most importantly, free to speak without judgement.
This was not a secret that we unlocked. It’s something that men have been crying out for for decades, with only organisations such as AndysManClub, Talk Club and Men Who Talk, among others, answering this call. Our success is not a secret either, we simply put men at the heart of everything we do, all of the services we design, and everything that feeds into them.
The truth is, when men talk, everything changes. They feel seen, heard, supported, safe, and the long journey towards understanding can begin. Many men have felt excluded, pressured and fear the judgement they feel is attached to conventional help seeking. Talking – and listening – can overcome these barriers and offer the opportunity of a fresh start and a different way of thinking. This is not to say that talking is the magic cure for everything. I am still a strong believer in multiple methods of support, but none of them can be truly effective without talking, often as the first step.
When we place men at the heart of the services we design and give them the permission to talk, we can help them to not just survive but to thrive. This is our mission at Men Who Talk and I greatly hope you join us in achieving this.
Men Who Talk has been selected by CT staff as one of our charities of the year. For further information, see Men Who Talk | Men’s Mental Health Charity UK.
“The truth is, when men talk, everything changes. They feel seen, heard, supported, safe, and the long journey towards understanding can begin.”
