Men's mental health project wins big with lottery funding

An Exeter arts project has received £15,000 in National Lottery funding for its comedy course aimed at normalising and encouraging conversations about men’s mental health.

Alright Mate? CIC is celebrating after receiving £15,000 in National Lottery funding for their new comedy course, Jest for Men.

The course, which lasts six weeks and is led by award-winning comedian and educator, Angie Belcher, will offer men the chance to develop their comedic skills, build confidence, and perform live on stage.

This vital funding comes from the National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK.

Cally Hayes, Director of Alright Mate? CIC, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, we can run the course with Angie, who has experience working with men who have experienced poor mental health and trauma. The course will give the men transferable skills they can take back to their jobs and lives, while also helping them feel part of a comedy community.

“Comedy is a universal art form, and there are many opportunities in Exeter to continue with their comedy ambitions afterwards if they wish to. We know we’re going to learn a lot. Whatever the man chooses to share, creating the comedy will be a process.”

Alright Mate? began in 2019, in response to suicide apparently continuing to be the biggest cause of death in men under 50.

The organisation has already run sessions on a variety of topics and activities, including Victorian wet plate photography, recorded interviews, and theatre plays. 

One participant said: “I attended a wet plate photography workshop and wasn’t sure what it was going to be like. I ended up chatting informally with a few other people while we worked and just so happened to get talking about other things.

“The second workshop I attended, we were making prints from the wet plate negative and getting really creative. It was a bigger group of guys, and we ended up having big, long conversations about being a parent. It wasn’t sitting down and talking about mental health face to face, but we talked much more deeply and easily than we would have done if we didn’t have an activity to do at the same time. We found lots in common. There were different ages and different circles we moved in.”

The project will evaluate the impact on course participants, looking at their wellbeing but also their social connections and whether the course helps them feel part of a community.

The course will take place at the Bootlegger Bar in Exeter, which already runs a comedy club.

Holding projects in familiar spaces like pubs, sports clubs, and barbers helps reduce apprehension, as men statistically engage less with formal health services than women.

Above: Image: Alright Mate? CIC

Cally added: “We have made a lot of progress over recent years with regards to conversations around mental health, but unfortunately, we still live in a world where it can be difficult to do that, even though there is a lot more support out there. 

“As life throws stuff at you, it’s often about having the right tools to deal with those curve balls. This is why our creative projects are so effective. We are all susceptible to our mental health deteriorating at times, but with the right support, you can come through it.

“Men have this emotional world, but society doesn’t give them many opportunities to express that. So many men have said to me that even when they go out with their friends, they’re looking for a distraction, and they don’t want to bring the atmosphere down by talking about things they’re struggling with. But in a group of people where they don’t already know each other, they feel more able to talk if they feel safe to do so.”

Jon Eastwood, Deputy Director, England, at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “We’re delighted to support the amazing work of projects like Alright Mate, which help bring people together to make connections and improve their mental and physical health. That’s why our funding decisions—in the South West and across the country—are firmly rooted in the unique needs, strengths, and opportunities of local people.”

You can find out more about the community fund here.