Finding strength in wellness this Men’s Health Week

It's Men’s Health Week, a time to highlight the importance of mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing for all men. The week aims to raise awareness of men’s health and encourage all men to seek help to address any health concerns that they may be experiencing.

Across Chemring, we aim to create an environment in which colleagues feel comfortable talking about their health and wellbeing and to reach out for support when needed. From wellness walks and Mental Health First Aiders to charity partnerships and our Chemring Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), there’s always lots going on and available to promote health and wellbeing across Chemring.  

We spoke to Rob Craig, Chemring’s Group Head of People, to recognise Men's Health Week. Rob shares some of his views and experiences of the challenges of mental health and tells us about two gruelling challenges that he’s undertaking to promote the importance of mental and physical health and wellbeing. 

“I believe mental health challenges are one of the single biggest issues today, and I’ve seen first-hand the impact of poor mental health on several of my friends and family members over the past year. 

“In recognition of the importance of prioritising your mental and physical health, I’ve signed up for two ultra marathons. The first is 50km long, and the second is 100km. I do this not because I want to but to see what’s possible. Stubbornness runs in my family!

“I know any endurance event I run will hurt a lot, so the mental challenge of turning up at the start line is the hardest part.  This mirrors work and life in general.  How often do we hold back for fear of something negative happening?  And for those with mental health challenges, these decisions are magnified in ways I couldn’t even begin to understand.  

“Having seen the impact of mental health issues on many friends and family recently, I’m doing these events both to recognise the challenges they are facing and to raise much-needed money for support services, which are so valuable to those who need a bit of extra help.

“I’m fundraising for the mental health charity for children, young people and their parents, Young Minds, as they offer support to ensure all young people get the mental health support they need. No one should be without help when they need it most.”

The first of Rob’s events, taking place on Saturday, 15 June, is the Race to the King - a 50km loop in the South Downs from Goodwood Racecourse to Arundel Castle and back.
The second event, Race to the Stones, is on Saturday, July 13. This is a 100km, one way ‘adventure’ running the oldest path in Britain, traversing The Ridgeway towards the 5000-year-old Avebury Standing Stones, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Continues Rob, “I chose these events because of their historical settings in the south of England and because the organisers, Threshold Trail Series, are champions of gender equality in the running community. Their Ultra 50:50 initiative aims to inspire, empower and enable women to participate in long-distance running events.  Long distance running is all about the community. The proverb “If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together” has never been more applicable.

“To prepare, I got back into running in October last year, taking part in the Winchester Half Marathon. I then signed up for events roughly every month to keep me motivated and keep my training progressing towards these two big goals. 

“As well as raising awareness for mental health, my other motivation is my own health, both the tangible physical health benefits but also the underlying (and hidden) mental health benefits.  Setting tough goals and achieving them is a great way to build resilience in mental health, but it’s also about the doubt, the challenge, and the need to be tenacious to just keep going in long distance events. That helps me to become a stronger person.”

If you’d like to donate to support Rob and raise much needed funds for the mental health charity Young Minds, visit his donation page at https://www.justgiving.com/page/robert-craig-1717750426174
Together, we can foster a supportive community in which everyone feels empowered to take charge of their mental and physical health.