Chamber hosts first International Men’s Day event

Businesses from across the Chamber network gathered today at Carlisle Rugby Club for an event celebrating International Men’s Day. The event, themed ‘Supporting Men at Work’, focused on key issues such as mental health, wellbeing, addiction, and overcoming adversity.

The day began with an inspiring presentation from Gary Martin and JP Ward, facilitators at Andy’s Man Club’s Carlisle group. They shared the origins of Andy’s Man Club, which organises weekly peer-to-peer support groups for over 5,000 men across the UK. Gary and JP spoke about launching the Carlisle group in January this year, which now attracts over 50 attendees to the sessions every Monday from 7-9pm (For men aged 18+ – find out more at andysmanclub.co.uk). Reflecting on the success of the group in making a difference to men’s mental health, Gary remarked: “It just works!”

Emma Horrobin from Cumbria Addictions Advice & Solutions (CADAS) followed with an insightful talk on addiction, exploring its causes, symptoms, and the support CADAS offers to those affected. Emma was followed by Craig Hamilton of Hamilton Training Services, who shared best practices aimed at breaking the stigma surrounding men’s mental health in the workplace.

After networking over bacon rolls and coffee, attendees returned for the event’s keynote speaker Harrison Ward (aka Fell Foodie). Harrison captivated the audience with his life story, from battling addiction while working as a chef to finding sobriety and a love for the outdoors. The second half of Harrison’s talk covered how he combined his passions for hiking and cooking into a career, delivering talks, outdoor cooking workshops, television appearances, and even cooking for Dame Mary Berry!

Joe Sanders, Marketing Manager at Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, commented: “We had a fantastic turnout for our first International Men’s Day event in Carlisle. The goal was to bring businesses together to share strategies for supporting male colleagues to thrive at work, and our brilliant speakers delivered exactly that. A huge thank you to our sponsors, Leo Group, FW Capital, Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors, We Are Digital, and Fell Foodie, for making this event possible.”