Men Walk Talk
Registered Charity Number: 1188361
Annual Report and Accounts Period to 31 December 2020
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1: Introduction (Matt Pollard, Founder and CEO)
As I write this, we are in the process of finding a way out of the coronavirus pandemic. Reflecting to last year seems like a distant memory as we have been busy responding to needs of our members at what is, of course, a challenging time. It cannot however take away from the amazing things that we achieved in 2019-20.
We are still an extremely young charity, and I am so proud of where we now find ourselves and our achievements in such a short space of time. I am delighted to review last year, reflect on some great times, and share with you how we continue to transform the way Mental Health is viewed in the public eye, the media and beyond. We are changing the lives of those affected by Mental Health every single day. Thank you for your continued interest and support.
2: Achievements
Since registering as a charity on 5[th] March 2020, we have set-up eight walk and talk groups across 5 different counties, training 11 people as Mental Health First Aiders (trustees and volunteers). We’ve spent 160 hours on Zoom as a group of guys, checking in each week, for some this was their only time to chat with others. Overall, we’ve walked over 440km together across all groups and fundraisers. We supported guys in Brazil, Canada, and Trinidad to open up and learn to speak up about their wellbeing.
3: About MenWalkTalk
MenWalkTalk was set up in January 2020 after the Founder, Matt Pollard, felt the way work stress had impacted on his mood. He started walking to make himself feel better, but after a while considered that other people may also be feeling the same but had nowhere informal to go and chat with other guys.
It was then Matt realised how walking can offer people the opportunity to talk about their mental health. Matt was aware of how men can struggle with their mental health and are at a higher risk of suicide.
Matt says “Some people have a fear of accessing help, but MenWalkTalk is peer support, not therapy. We’re in contact with GPs and social prescribing teams, but we are also linking to other Pathfinder West Sussex services”.
As well as the walks, which over the last year have happened in line with Covid guidelines, members of the group have met online weekly for social chats and on a WhatsApp group that’s used for ongoing peer support.
At the start MenWalkTalk knew that for some, the hardest part would be making that first call or walking through that first door. Matt is always happy to chat with someone before they attend one of the walks. Sometimes these pre-walk chats and meetings give men the opportunity to make disclosures about their mental health before they join a group for the first time, which can make things easier.
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MenWalkTalk has attracted a number of supporters and celebrity ambassadors including Hollyoaks actor David Tag and actor/presenter and Here4U campaigner Dan Westwood who frequently host interviews on social media to raise awareness of the charity and its aims.
4: Case Studies
Case study 1: One of our participants joined the Zoom meetings as soon as Lockdown was in place in March 2020. He joined quizzes, social spaces every week, supporting me in introducing new people to the group and facilitating conversations about mental health. Aged 67 years old, he is our oldest participant and shares his story in our magazine being printed next month. Health anxiety stopped him attending groups, but after a 1:1 walk in Cuckmere Haven where he met me, he started to consider joining the Brighton walk. He came along in March this year and joins each fortnight, working through his health anxiety and has signed himself back up for some CBT sessions.
Case study 2: One participant, found out about our walk in Brighton as he was out clearing his head from his suicidal ideation. Aged 44, he has since lost his job and is in a new relationship. Lockdown has been tough, he felt able to disclose his feelings in the group right away, sharing that the walk and talk in fresh air was just what he needed. He joins the walks in Brighton each fortnight and he has taken a ‘keep safe’ card from myself and also accepted my offer of taking a ‘Stay Alive Booklet’ that we asked for a few copies of to keep in the walkleader backpacks for this very reason, a hands on and tangible resource to support saving lives.
5: Locations
MenWalkTalk currently has eight groups meeting for regular walks in:
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Bognor Regis on a fortnightly basis with an average attendance of 2.
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Littlehampton on a fortnightly basis with an average attendance of 4.
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Worthing on a fortnightly basis with an average attendance of 3.
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Brighton on a fortnightly basis with an average attendance of 7.
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Rugby on a fortnightly basis, which has just started out.
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Nottinghamshire, in three locations across Bassetlaw, two in Retford and Worksop, each walk happening monthly.
MenWalkTalk also facilitate ‘pop-up walk and talks’ to reach out to rural areas and spread awareness of the offer for the walks across different areas; we have met on an ad-hoc basis in Petworth and Horsham.
6: Response to Covid
COVID-19 put extra pressure on many people’s mental health, Mental health charities like MenWalkTalk have had to quickly adapt their services to meet these needs and find ways of meeting additional demand with reduced resources.
Whilst the coronavirus pandemic has impacted all aspects of our work, including our aim, which was to gather men and walk and talk, it hasn’t stopped us from delivering our critical mission.
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In fact, we rapidly adapted and started new ways of working so that we were able to play a positive role in addressing the mental health impacts of the pandemic and the Lockdown measures. This included setting up an online Zoom Social Space which met every Tuesday evening as soon as Lockdown was implemented, sometimes hosting pub quizzes and at times offering peer support to guys who were really struggling with their mental health and the lack of professional support due to the Lockdown.
Anyone who attended a Zoom meeting was invited to join a MenWalkTalk WhatsApp group where the peer support could be offered on an ad-hoc, as/when needed but was not a crisis support. This WhatsApp group has been a platform where guys share useful strategies to deal with their mental health struggles as well as life-hacks and sharing DIY interests.
As well as the Zoom meeting, our founder Matt also hosted live walk and talks via the social media platforms Facebook and Instagram. During these walks he would share information about the online offer and also the benefits of getting out walking, especially as it was the only thing allowed during Lockdown.
7: Financial Review
The charity raised £4,936 in donations and grants in the period to 31 December 2020, and made payments of £1,957. At 31 December 2020 the charity had £2,978 of cash funds and a further £8,620 expected from funds pledged but not yet received. Due to the charity’s size the trustees do not feel that it is necessary to hold reserves at this time. The accounts, which prepared on the “receipt and payments” basis, are included below:
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Receipts and payments accounts
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Men Walk Talk 1188361
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the 05-Mar-20 31-Dec-20
To
period from
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total funds Last year
funds funds funds
£ £ £ £ £
A1 Receipts
Donations 2,566 - - 2,566 -
Grants - 2,370 - 2,370 -
Sub total
2,566 2,370 - 4,936 -
(Gross income for AR)
A2 Asset and investment sales
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total receipts 2,566 2,370 - 4,936 -
A3 Payments
Expenses for fundraising
activities 278 225 - 502 -
Payments relating to charitable
activities 343 434 - 777 -
Grants and donations
47 - - 47 -
Running costs 42 589 - 631 -
Sub total 710 1,247 - 1,957 -
A4 Asset and investment purchases
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total payments 710 1,247 - 1,957 -
Net of
receipts/(payments) 1,855 1,123 - 2,978 -
A5 Transfers between
funds
- - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year
end
- - - - -
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Cash funds this year end
1,855 1,123 - 2,978 -
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B3 Investment assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B5 Liabilities |
Details Bank Paypal Total cash funds Details Details Details Details |
Unrestricted funds £ 1,743 112 - 1,855 Unrestricted funds £ - Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which liability relates |
Restricted funds £ 1,123 - - 1,123 Restricted funds £ - Cost (optional) - Cost (optional) - - Amount due (optional) - |
Endowment funds £ |
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| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| - | ||||
| Endowment funds £ |
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| - | ||||
| Current value (optional) |
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| Current value (optional) |
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| When due (optional) |
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Notes to the accounts
Note 1: Restricted funds
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Donor Amount Description of restriction
Spent only for benefit of Littlehampton
Littlehampton Town Council Grant Aid 750 Residents
Comic Relief Project Delivery Fund [£1120 of £2240] 1120 Spend only for benefit of Worthing area
Comic Relief Capacity Building Grant 500 Littlehampton Focus
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Note 2: Commitments, security pledged and events after the balance sheet date
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Funds pledged but not yet received at year-end:
Suicide Innovation Fund 7500
Comic Relief 2nd instalment 1120
Commitments/guarantees made by the charity not
reflected in the R&P accounts at year-end 300
Material events occurring after the balance sheet date None
Particulars of any debt outstanding at the date the
statement of assets and liabilities which is owed by the
CIO and which is secured by an express charge on any
of the assets of the CIO None
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Note 3: Related party transactions
The trustees approved a payment made in March 2021 to the founder for time spent supporting the charity during the Details of any remuneration or expenses paid to any period November 2020 to February 2021. trustee or related party 3312 The total amount paid was £3312
Note 4: Significant non-monetary resources
None
Signature
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Signed on behalf of all Date of
the trustees Signature Print Name approval
29 October
Mike Jenkins 2021
29 October
Luke Knight 2021
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8: Team
Volunteers
Currently we have a team of nine volunteer walk-leaders and also have a volunteer campaigner and admin assistant Danni who supports with raising awareness of the MenWalkTalk offer and its aims. We have formed a Volunteer Board to oversee and coordinate our activities.
Matt Pollard
Founder and CEO of the MenWalkTalk Charity
I'm assuming you've already met me via the info page but if you haven't I'm Matt, 28 years old and founded MenWalkTalk in January 2020. I'm really passionate about supporting people and reducing the stigma surrounding men's mental health.
Danni Rigby
Volunteer Board Member and Admin Support
Danni has joined the board with a huge passion to see growth and awareness of support for men and is always the first to offer support with all things admin/campaign. Danni says "I am part of the MenWalkTalk team because from suffering from mental health in the past I can understand the emotions that people with mental health go through. This has always made me want to help others who may not be feeling 100% themselves. Men's mental health is also very close to my heart due to some men closest to me suffering. I am so lucky to have met Matt who has helped me come out of my shell and play a part in this amazing team".
Alan Savage
Volunteer Board Member and Worthing Walk Leader
Alan loves all things mindfulness and is passionate about supporting us, I am always learning to be more grounded and mindful when walking and talking with Alan. Alan says "I am part of the MenWalkTalk team because I believe talking and walking in the open air nourishes and supports good mental and physical wellbeing.”
Simon Pepper Volunteer Board Member
Simon is always learning and sharing knowledge with the guys on each walk he attends, I am excited to have him on the board with me! Simon writes "I am part of the MenWalkTalk Team because I want to help reduce the stigma associated with men’s mental ill-health and I hope that by sharing my own experiences, it might encourage other men to realise it is ok to speak up and ask for help when they need it".
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Trustees Luke Knight – Chair Jessica Hart (resigned August 2021) Mike Jenkins – Treasurer Charlotte Griffiths – Fundraising Jake Harber
Statement by the Chair of the Trustees: On behalf of the Trustees I wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone who has made it possible to get MenWalkTalk set up, and especially to our founder Matt whose drive and positivity have made this happen. We have all been incredibly inspired by the positive impact MenWalkTalk is making and look forward to continuing this great work into next year.
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