David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire is leading the conversation for men’s mental fitness with his behaviour change campaign and £715,000 pot of funding.
This comes as the next stage of Mayor Skaith’s £7m Moving Forward campaign which is dedicated to creating a healthier and thriving York and North Yorkshire.
David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire said,
“Men are dying too young, too often. That’s a national disgrace and it’s incumbent on leaders to take action. Today I’m launching my Men’s Mental Health Fund and a new campaign to do just that.
“This isn’t a nice to do, it’s essential. When people are healthier, communities are wealthier.
“That’s why I am launching Shift Your Focus. Practising mental fitness, changing our routine, talking to friends, and getting active. These help to ensure that we don’t reach crisis point and are at the heart of this new campaign.”
‘Shift Your Focus’ aims to highlight every day, actionable steps that men and their support systems can take to help improve their mental fitness. This might be as simple as mixing it up and trying something new or getting up and being active.
As well as ‘Shift Your Focus’, there is a Men’s Mental Health investment fund which aims to support interventions that help create a more mentally fit York and North Yorkshire. The funding will look to target rural access, tackle stigma through male friendly engagement, promote workplace mental health, invest in support for young people, especially neurodivergent young people, and enhance digital presence and clarity of services.
David Skaith added,
“It’s one thing knowing what to do when you’re struggling, but where do you go once you’ve figured that out? I know there is already great work being done to support men’s mental health, but with additional funding, we can do so much more.
“We’re helping to plug the gaps in provision and backing existing groups go even further, helping men in York and North Yorkshire to thrive.”
Paul Galdas, Men’s Health Professor at The University of York and Chair of the Men’s Mental Health Taskforce said,
“This isn’t just about raising awareness for men’s mental health or encouraging men to talk. It’s about meeting men where they are, adapting our services to fit the unique needs of men in our area, and ensuring that every man, from urban to rural areas can feel the benefit. By improving men’s mental health, we improve the lives of individuals, their loved ones, entire communities, and our economy.”
The Men’s Mental Health fund is open for applications till Friday, 2 January 2026.
Find out more about the fund and Shift Your Focus here.
