A place to start: how Men of Megin is helping men rebuild connection

Men of Megin is using lived experience, physical activity and shared challenge to create a different route into support for men.

Men’s mental health is often reduced to a familiar piece of advice: men need to talk.

That advice is not wrong, but it skips over the difficult part. Where do you go? Who do you talk to? What if you know something is not right, but cannot explain what it is? And what if walking into a room specifically to discuss your mental health feels like too much?

Men of Megin gives men somewhere to begin.

Based in Lincoln, Men of Megin is for men facing poor mental health, addiction, trauma, grief, isolation or major life challenges. It also welcomes those who are not in crisis but want more purpose, friendship and personal growth. The organisation brings together talking circles, physical activity, time outdoors and personal development to create a space for men to open up about their mental health, share in a community of other people who can align with how they feel and know it’s a safe space to build relationships and open up. Its programme includes boxing circuits, fitness sessions, breathwork, sound healing, online challenges, monthly hikes and occasional workshops or guest speakers.

Its approach joins up mind, body and spirit through movement, time in nature, practical tools, honest conversation and community. There is no single version of support and no expectation that every man will connect in the same way. Someone might join because they want to improve their fitness, get out of the house or meet new people. The conversation may come later but the point is to create that community so no one feels like they are alone or isolated in their feelings – if/when they need help or support that community will be there for them.  

Built from lived experience

Men of Megin was created from personal experience of loss, addiction, recovery and the search for a way forward.

“I lost my dad when I was 15 and my mum during the Covid pandemic,” its founder explains. “Between those losses I struggled with addiction, poor mental health and trying to find my place in the world.”

During recovery, exercise, breathwork, cold water, nature and supportive people helped him regulate his emotions, build resilience and rediscover purpose. They were not quick fixes, but over time they helped him rebuild.

“I wanted to create the kind of community I wish had existed when I needed it most.”

That experience shapes the culture of Men of Megin. Men do not need a diagnosis, a prepared explanation or a polished version of themselves. They can show up while struggling, rebuilding or simply looking for more direction. There is understanding, but also challenge and accountability.

The focus is not “What is wrong with you?” but “What will help you move forward?”

That experience shapes the group. Men are not treated as problems to solve or expected to present a polished version of themselves. They can arrive while struggling, rebuilding after a difficult period or simply looking for more direction and connection in their lives. 

There is support, but there is also challenge and accountability. The group encourages honesty, personal responsibility and consistency, with men helping one another without judgement or pretence. 

It offers a broader and more useful understanding of strength. Strength can mean completing a demanding hike or pushing through a training session, but it can also mean admitting that things are not going well, asking for help or continuing to show up when withdrawing would be easier. 

A different way into support

Not everyone wants to begin by sitting down and explaining the hardest thing happening in their life.

Weekly men’s circles, boxing sessions, gym groups, guided breathwork, cold-water wellbeing experiences, walks, hikes and social events offer several ways in. Some men come for the exercise and others for the community. There is no pressure to talk.

An activity gives someone a reason to turn up without immediately having to find the right words. Walking alongside somebody, completing a boxing circuit or taking part in a shared challenge creates common ground. Familiar faces become friendships and, as trust builds, conversations tend to happen naturally.

Choice matters because mental, physical and emotional wellbeing do not sit in separate boxes. A difficult period can affect energy, confidence, relationships and routine as much as mood. The aim is to give men practical tools, healthier routines and support networks that continue beyond a session.

Activities are currently free or donation-based. Men need to contact the organisation and join its WhatsApp community before attending. H.A.Y. Lincolnshire has more information about the sessions available.

Support before crisis point

The scale of the need is stark. Men have accounted for around three-quarters of suicide deaths registered in England and Wales since the mid-1990s, according to the Office for National Statistics. Men of Megin’s work is not only about crisis, but the earlier signs that somebody may need connection – isolation, lost routine, grief, addiction or the feeling that life has stalled.

Prevention matters just as much as intervention. A man does not need to be in crisis, have a diagnosis or know exactly what to say. He might want to improve his fitness, meet people, rebuild after addiction or find direction. The starting point can be as simple as being willing to take part.

That wide invitation is important. 

It means the group can provide a place for men who may not see themselves reflected in more conventional forms of support. It can also offer connection earlier, when somebody has started withdrawing, lost their routine or recognised that something needs to change. 

One participant described the difference the group had made by saying: “The effects are being felt not just by me, but the ones closest to me are noticing the change in me too.” 

That is a useful reminder that the impact of community support rarely stops with one person. When someone begins to feel healthier, more connected or better able to manage what they are carrying, the change can also be felt within families, friendships and workplaces. 

What change can look like

One participant joined while feeling “a little lost in life”. He had decided to give sobriety another go and, in his own words, had “selfishly joined to go on the advertised hike”. What he found was “a lot more wholesome than I ever imagined”.

“I have found a place amongst like-minded men who, despite their own struggles, are trying to better themselves. Through building resilience, training the body and looking after the soul, I have achieved so much since joining.”

He described getting back into the gym, going on hikes, planning a Tough Mudder and a climb of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), taking up meditation and developing a toolkit to process emotions without returning to substance use.

“The effects are being felt not just by me, but the ones closest to me are noticing the change in me too. I cannot express how much this group has given me over the past three months – changes that I will carry for the rest of my life.”

The impact of community support rarely stops with one person. When somebody feels healthier, more connected and better able to manage what they are carrying, families, friendships and workplaces can feel the change too.

Growing the work

Men of Megin is continuing to expand its weekly programme and develop partnerships with local organisations. It wants activities such as fitness, breathwork, time in nature and peer-led sharing circles to be more accessible, particularly for men who may not engage with traditional mental health services.

Its longer-term goal is to create a structured self-development programme lasting between eight and 12 weeks, designed to bring practical, positive change to men living in deprived areas.

How LVET members can help

LVET members can refer men who may benefit from the community, explore partnerships on local projects, invite Men of Megin to deliver wellbeing sessions or simply help more people know that the group is there.

“The more we work together, the more men we will be able to reach.”

Find out more

Men of Megin is based in Lincoln and its activities are free or donation-based. Men must make contact and join the group’s WhatsApp community before attending.

Visit the Men of Megin website (currently under construction), follow Men of Megin on Instagram or email rsk@menofmegin.com.