Local housebuilder donates £1,500 to Men’s mental health charity

Barratt Developments Yorkshire East, which includes the Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes brands, has donated £1,500 to Menfulness to help provide a supportive environment for men going through mental health struggles in and around York.

Menfulness, a mental health charity dedicated to supporting men, is led by a team of five individuals from the York area. They manage the organisation in their free time alongside their commitments with their full-time jobs. 

Each member of the trustee team has personally dealt with mental health challenges and the demands of life, lending a unique and empathetic perspective to their mission. With males making up 75% of suicide rates per week1 their aim is to break the stigma behind men’s mental health and ultimately reduce male suicide rates.

The charity has many interactive facilities for men who may be feeling down and just need a slight escape from everyday life. This includes their online social community which allows men a supportive environment where they can open up and express themselves.

As well as their online presence they also host events and activities including; a 5-a-side football team, a dad and daughters hair school, retro games nights, talk groups, walk and talk activities and many more. This is to get like-minded men in the same place offering them an open space to talk and get support when they feel like they need it.

Also, the charity understands that there are long waits for professional help therefore they help to remove some of their strain and offer them counselling through their partner - Serendipity York..

The donation was made in alignment with the Barratt Developments Community Fund, an initiative committed to supporting communities in the areas where the homebuilding company is active. Each charity is selected by an internal member of staff each month.

Matty Lewis, a Trustee at Menfulness said: “The events and activities are self-sufficient, but the life changing and saving counselling is the most financially demanding offering, and this donation from Barratt Developments Yorkshire East will go a long way to continuing to deliver this and change lives for the better. 

“We're aware that suicide rates in the construction industry are at worrying levels, so to work with a partner like Barratt Developments Yorkshire East makes sense and shows they are aware of the need to consider the welfare of a male-dominant workforce. 

“We want to applaud Barratt Developments Yorkshire East both for this consideration, but for this amazing donation."

Daniel Smith, Managing Director of Barratt & David Wilson Homes Yorkshire East, “We are honoured to be able to support a charity which directly supports not only males within the local communities where we build but within our industry of work also. 

“We believe in empowering community initiatives and are honoured to contribute to their valuable work. With this donation, our aim is to assist Menfulness in offering costly services that are vital and create a significant difference to the lives of the individuals they aid.”

Barratt Developments Yorkshire East, which includes Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes brands, has developments within York Menfulness’ service area including The Sands in Bridlington; Mortimer Park in Driffield; Abbey View in Whitby and St John’s View in Cayton.

To find out more about the nearby developments, please visit: https://www.barratthomes.co.uk/new-homes/yorkshire/east-riding-of-yorkshire/