A rallying cry for fathers, uncles, mentors, and male role models to champion children’s mental wellbeing
Picture this: a young boy sits at the dinner table, pushing peas around his plate, quieter than usual. His dad notices but hesitates, unsure whether to ask what’s wrong. Across town, a teenage girl confides in her mother about anxiety at school, whilst her father listens from the doorway, wanting to help but feeling utterly lost for words. Meanwhile, a single father struggles alone, convinced he should have all the answers but too proud to admit he’s drowning.
These moments happen in homes across Birmingham and throughout the UK every single day. And this February, during Children’s Mental Health Week 2026, we have an opportunity—no, a responsibility—to change this narrative.
This Is My Place: Why Belonging Matters Now More Than Ever
Children’s Mental Health Week 2026 runs from 9th to 15th February, and this year’s theme couldn’t be more timely: “This Is My Place“. Organised by the mental health charity Place2Be, the week focuses on fostering a profound sense of belonging, safety, and community for children and young people—at home, in school, and online.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth we need to confront: whilst we’ve made incredible strides in destigmatising mental health conversations, there’s still a glaring gap. Men—particularly fathers, uncles, grandfathers, and male role models—often remain on the sidelines of these vital discussions.
This isn’t about blame. It’s about opportunity.
According to recent data from the NHS Digital Mental Health of Children and Young People Survey (2024), approximately one in five children and young people aged 8 to 25 in England now have a probable mental health condition. That’s a staggering increase from one in nine in 2017. In the West Midlands alone, child mental health referrals surged by over 35% between 2023 and 2024, with Birmingham recording some of the highest rates in the region.
These aren’t just statistics. They’re our children. Our nieces and nephews. The young people in our communities who desperately need us to show up differently.
Breaking the Silence: Why Men’s Voices Matter
For generations, many men have been conditioned to believe that emotional conversations belong elsewhere—that they’re the domain of mothers, teachers, or therapists. We’ve been taught to fix problems, not feel them. To provide solutions, not sit with discomfort. To be strong, silent, and stoic.
Yet research from the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Developmental Science (2025) reveals something profound: children who have emotionally engaged male role models demonstrate significantly higher emotional intelligence, better conflict resolution skills, and stronger resilience when facing mental health challenges.
Simply put, when men step up emotionally, children thrive.
Moreover, data from YoungMinds UK indicates that 78% of young people wish their fathers or male guardians felt more comfortable discussing mental health openly. They don’t want us to know everything. They’re asking us to be present, vulnerable, and real.
This Is Where We Come In
Here’s where the conversation shifts. Because whilst Children’s Mental Health Week shines a necessary spotlight on young people’s wellbeing, we must ask ourselves a fundamental question: How can we support children’s mental health if we haven’t addressed our own?
This is precisely why the Men’s Prosperity Club Birmingham Men’s Mental Health Support Group exists.
We’re not just another support group. We’re a movement that’s rewriting what it means to be a man in 2026—one honest conversation at a time. Through our unique walk-and-talk sessions and horizontal leadership model, we’ve created a safe space where vulnerability isn’t weakness; it’s the ultimate strength.
Think about it. How can we teach our children that it’s okay to struggle if we never model that behaviour ourselves? If we refuse to ask for help, how can we get them to do so? How can we tell them emotions are valid whilst we bury our own beneath layers of “I’m fine”?
The answer is simple: we can’t.
The Ripple Effect: Healing Yourself and Making a Difference in Your Community
When men engage with their own mental health, something remarkable happens. The benefits ripple outward in waves that touch everyone around them.
According to the Mental Health Foundation’s 2025 UK Workplace Wellbeing Report, men who actively participate in peer support groups demonstrate:
- 43% improvement in emotional regulation
- 67% increase in willingness to discuss mental health with family members
- 52% reduction in symptoms of anxiety and depression
- 89% reported feeling less isolated and more connected to their communities
These aren’t abstract percentages. They represent fathers who now ask their children about their feelings. Uncles who notice when something’s off. Mentors who share their own struggles. Grandfathers who finally understand that strength includes softness.
At Men’s Prosperity Club, we’ve witnessed these transformations firsthand. Men who arrived carrying decades of unexpressed emotion, slowly learning to unpack the weight. Discovering that community is the pinnacle of bravery, men who believed seeking assistance equalled failing. Men who believed they had to navigate fatherhood alone, finding brotherhood instead.
Getting Involved: Practical Steps for Children’s Mental Health Week
So what does stepping up actually look like this Children’s Mental Health Week? Here are tangible, actionable ways you can make a difference:
1. Download Place2Be’s Free Resources
Place2Be has created comprehensive, accessible resources for primary schools, secondary schools, families, community groups, and workplaces. These materials are specifically designed around the “This Is My Place” theme and include activities that foster belonging and connection. Head to Place2Be’s website and explore what resonates with your situation.
2. Start Small Conversations
You don’t need to deliver a TEDx talk on mental health. Start with simple questions: “How are you feeling today?” or “What made you happy this week?” Then, and this is very important, pay close attention to the answer without trying to fix it right away.
3. Model Emotional Honesty
Share your own feelings appropriately. “I felt frustrated at work today” or “I’m nervous about this meeting” normalises emotional expression and shows children that all feelings are valid and temporary.
4. Create Safe Spaces at Home
Designate specific times or places where emotions can be freely expressed—perhaps during walks (sound familiar?), car journeys, or bedtime. Some children find it easier to open up during side-by-side activities rather than face-to-face conversations.
5. Educate Yourself
Understanding childhood mental health doesn’t require a psychology degree. The NHS, Young Minds, and Mind offer excellent free resources that explain common challenges like anxiety, depression, and emotional regulation in accessible language.
6. Join the Movement
Connect with groups like Men’s Prosperity Club that normalise male vulnerability and emotional growth. When you do your own work, you become exponentially more effective in supporting the young people in your life.
The Birmingham Advantage: Community-Led Change
Birmingham has always been a city of innovation, diversity, and resilience. We’re also a city that understands the power of community. According to Birmingham City Council’s 2025 Children and Young People’s Mental Health Strategy, localised peer support networks have demonstrated 68% higher sustained engagement rates compared to traditional clinical interventions alone.
This data validates what we’ve always known instinctively: healing happens in community.
The Men’s Prosperity Club embodies this principle. We’re free, accessible, and built on the revolutionary idea that no man should navigate life’s challenges alone. Our walk-and-talk format removes the intimidation of formal settings, creating natural opportunities for authentic connection. Our horizontal leadership model ensures every voice matters equally—because vulnerability knows no hierarchy.
Your Call to Action: Men Step Up
Children’s Mental Health Week 2026 presents a defining moment. We can continue observing from the sidelines, outsourcing emotional labour to others, perpetuating cycles of silence. Or we can step forward, imperfectly but intentionally, and become the emotionally engaged male role models that research—and more importantly, our children—desperately need.
Here’s what we’re asking you to do:
This week, download Place2Be’s free Children’s Mental Health Week resources and engage with at least one activity alongside a young person in your life.
This month, have one honest conversation about mental health—yours or theirs—with someone who matters to you.
This year, commit to your own mental health journey by joining a support network like Men’s Prosperity Club Birmingham Mental Health Support Group.
We meet regularly, offering a confidential, judgment-free space where men support men. Whether you’re struggling personally, seeking to understand children’s mental health better, or simply want to connect with like-minded individuals who believe vulnerability is strength, you belong here.
This is your place too.
The Bigger Picture: Legacy Beyond Statistics
In twenty years, the children we’re supporting today will be the adults shaping our world. They’ll be parents, teachers, leaders, and mentors. The emotional intelligence we help them develop now will determine how they navigate relationships, handle adversity, and raise the next generation.
But here’s the beautiful paradox: by focusing on their mental health, we heal ourselves. By creating spaces where they feel they belong, we discover our own sense of community. By teaching them emotional courage, we develop our own.
This Children’s Mental Health Week, let’s rewrite the narrative together. Let’s prove that men don’t just step up when there’s a physical task to complete—we step up when there are hearts to hold, emotions to validate, and communities to build.
Let’s show our children that their place in this world is secure, sacred, and supported. And let’s discover that when we do, we find our own place too.
Because when men step up for children’s mental health, everybody wins.
Ready to join the movement? Men’s Prosperity Club Birmingham Men’s Mental Health Support Group welcomes you—exactly as you are, wherever you are on your journey. Visit our website or contact us today to find out about our next walk-and-talk session. It’s free, it’s confidential, and it might just change your life.
This is your place. Welcome home.
