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ROAR Sponsors Space to Think in Aid of Men’s Mental Health
Space to Think, hosted by Space North East, is an event designed to ignite your imagination and leave you with a fresh outlook on life.
The event held at Pop Recs restaurant in Sunderland will feature an appearance from Sunderland-born Chris Oliver, a former Special Forces Operator and Royal Marine Mountain Leader with 16 years of combat experience, Chris Oliver (SAAS Who Dares Wins).
Space North East is a Sunderland-based organisation aiming to support northeast men suffering from depression, loneliness and isolation.
Events like these are crucial within the North East, across the UK and globally to encourage people, men especially, to open up regarding their mental health.
James Filde, Managing Director at Space to Think, told us more about the event.
He said: “Space To Think is exactly what it says on the tin. We’ve created engaging events to bring people in the Northeast together and share a space to think about life, challenges, hardships and hopefully, how we overcome them.
“The events are delivered by inspirational individuals who are professionals in their fields, such as astronomers, ex-special forces, journalists, scientists and more.
“These events ultimately help us support men in the northeast with their mental health by generating revenue so we can provide our services for free and hopefully inspire men to make positive changes in their lives.”
Sponsoring the event was a total no-brainer for ROAR and Managing Director Michael Knowles, who expressed his thoughts on the importance of providing men with the support to open up emotionally.
He said: “An event like Space to Think is critical today, as things globally become tougher, encouraging men to speak up and care for themselves mentally is so important.
“I think men’s mental health is sort of an afterthought, and men in this day and age are simply lost, confused and have no idea how to portray themselves emotionally.”
Nearly 1 in 10 men in the UK experience depression or anxiety, but less than half will receive treatment. Events like Space to Think encourage men to get the help they need.
“I’ve seen first-hand how deeply mental health can affect young men in the UK, and I think societal pressures like toxic masculinity have left many men completely baffled about how they’re supposed to act.
“As far as the event goes, I’m excited. It will be a valuable experience to hear from others about the importance of mental health and what that means to them.
“In some scenarios, I hope to offer support or answers to other young men in the room from my experiences growing up.
“As a 38-year-old male, I have often found it hard to express my emotions and open up regarding my mental health, and attending events like these show you the value and benefit of speaking up.
“I wanted ROAR to be involved in this event not only to share awareness of the event amongst our wider community but also to increase my awareness regarding handling my mental health and others around me.”
You can purchase tickets to the event here.