Yorkshire Mayors Tracy Brabin and Oliver Coppard back David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire’s Men’s Mental Health Campaign.
In November 2025 Mayor David Skaith announced his plans to build a more supportive and mentally healthy region as part of his £7m Moving Forward campaign.
David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said:
“Men are dying too young and too often. In York and North Yorkshire, we are leading the way and treating this as the emergency it is.
“By investing in our Men’s Mental Health Programme, we are helping to plug the gaps in provision and backing existing groups to go even further.
“With the support of my fellow Yorkshire Mayors, Tracy Brabin and Oliver Coppard we can start to shift the dial, so men have somewhere to turn.”
The campaign features a £715,000 Men’s Mental Health Programme, and a behaviour change campaign called ‘Shift Your Focus’, highlighting practical every day steps men can take. The Mayor has also committed to undertake a workplace pilot with North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.
York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority have also partnered with Movember for the ‘Men in Mind’ training programme designed to help professionals better engage with men to support their mental health.
South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said:
“I don’t know many men who haven’t struggled in some way with their mental health.Soitcouldn’tbe more important we talk about it, tackleitand fundamentally change how we think about men and mental health. That’s why DavidSkaith’scampaign is so important; because that change will only happen when we all take responsibility, and David is leading the charge.”
Tracy Brabin, Mayor West Yorkshire, said:
“It’sa tragedy that the biggest killer of men under 50 is suicide.
“Mayor David Skaith is showing real leadership in championing men’s mental health in York and North Yorkshire.
“By working together and backing campaigns like this, we can save lives and make it easier for men to ask for help.”