ITV films Biggleswade mental health group For Men To Talk

A Biggleswade support group which aims to improve men’s mental health has been filmed for ITV Anglia News.

Husband and father Luke Newman formed ‘For Men To Talk’ in December 2019, encouraging men open up about their anxiety, depression and grief.

This started with physical meetings at Jones’ Café’ in Biggleswade and St Neots Golf Club, while the group has also held Zoom sessions.

Luke, from Potton, recognised that being active was not only "great for physical health and fitness", but that it also improves mental wellbeing.

He said: "Together, the next step was getting men to sit down less and move their bodies more, so I formed the monthly ‘For Men To Talk… and Walk’ in September 2021."

Having heard about the walks, ITV Anglia’s ‘On Screen Journalist’ Callum Fairhurst contacted Luke and asked if he could join the Sunday, January 9 event, where he could interview and film the attendees.

“Callum was fantastic”, said Luke, 41. “We treated the walk like normal, men walking the Biggleswade Green Wheel, a walking and cycling route around the town, passing through areas of landscape, heritage and wildlife interest, talking about how we are feeling and what we are going through. But this time we had an ITV Anglia News cameraman following us.”

Interviews were taken place at Jones’ Café Bar and Jordans Mill with the attendees promoting the mental and physical health benefits of walking and talking.

“To improve the wellbeing of men, it is important to connect to people,” said attendee Steve Whitney. “As well as receiving emotional support, it allows men to support others. It helps to build a sense of belonging and self-worth and real friendships have been formed”.

The two-minute new piece was shown the following week on ITV News Anglia, where the main presenting team of David Whiteley and Becky Jago commenting that it is a "fantastic thing to do, brilliant."

The next ‘For Men To Talk… and Walk’ will be on Sunday, February 13, 2022, meeting at Jones’ Cafe at 9.15am, for a 9.30am start and finishing around 11am.

The ‘For Men To Talk’ face-to-face group meetings at Jones' Café continues twice a month and once a month at St.Neots Golf Club. The virtual meetings via Zoom are held every Wednesday at 6pm.