Two Spalding friends are inviting men to walk, talk and support one another through mental health difficulties after launching a new weekly group in the town.
Wes and Paul have set up Walk If Off, a series of walks beginning outside the gates of the Sir Halley Stewart Field. The idea is to give men a chance to meet, exercise and talk without the pressure of a formal setting.
Wes, who has battled mental health problems since he was a teenager, said the walks had made a bigger personal difference than any treatment he had received. His difficulties culminated in an attempt to take his own life nine months ago. He survived and now hopes other men will join the initiative.
When the Spalding walks take place
The group meets every Monday at 9.30pm. On Tuesdays, the walks take place alternately at 9.30am and 4pm, also from outside the Sir Halley Stewart Field gates. The source says the next Tuesday walk is scheduled for 4pm.
Wes said he had spoken to mental health groups about whether there was a need for support aimed at men in the Spalding area, and was told there was. He described walking as something that helped him step away when his mental health was deteriorating.
“I’ve struggled with my mental health since I was 12 or 13.
Wes said he had used various health services and had ended up at Boston crisis centre, but found that talking openly while walking had helped him more than previous approaches. He said learning to leave the situation and go for a walk had been the starting point for Walk If Off.
“Just talking about my mental health has been great.
“I’ve learned if things aren’t going well to just get away and go for a walk. That’s where all this has come from.”
A local alternative, not professional treatment
Wes and Paul met through football. Paul is a well-known referee on the local scene, while Wes has recently started organising pitch bookings for Spalding United, a job he says he loves.
Paul said mental health problems had affected his family. He also recognised that there had been periods when he turned to alcohol as a result of his own difficulties, without realising it at the time.
The pair want to challenge the stigma that can stop men discussing how they feel. Paul said telling someone to “man up” could make matters worse, and argued that men should instead be encouraged to seek conversation and support.
“We’ve got to try and erase the stigma of mental health and get more men talking about their mental health problems,”
Paul said he had seen the impact that losing someone to mental health problems could have on young families. He compared the group’s message with football: after taking a knock, someone might be told to walk it off, and the same phrase could offer a more supportive way to start a conversation about mental health.
“We’re not professionals, but we can also direct people to them to get the relevant help if needed. We’re not the answer, but we are an option; not just a walk but an opportunity to talk.”
The organisers present Walk If Off as an informal option alongside professional help, rather than a replacement for mental health services. Their invitation is aimed at men who may find it easier to begin talking while walking with others.
More walkers are joining
John Herd often joins the pair and has been nicknamed “the navigator”. He said the walks provided a reason to leave the house and speak with other people.
“It’s a good excuse to get out of the house and talking to others,”
For men in Spalding who want to find out more, Walk If Off meets at the Sir Halley Stewart Field gates at the stated weekly times. Anyone needing urgent or specialist mental health support should use the relevant professional health services.
