Pub landlords keen to do their bit to combat male suicides

Four London pubs are joining forces with a mental health charity to combat male suicides in the UK. 

On Sunday, supporters of the charity HUMEN will walk just over 5km to and from either the Devonshire Arms, in Duke Street, Marylebone, The Old Coffee House, in Beak Street, Soho, The Elm, in North End Road, Fulham and the Two Bridges, in Tooley Street, London Bridge. 

Each of the 5,151 steps designated for the sponsored walk will represent a man who lost his life to suicide in the past year.

It is hoped to raise £50,000 nationwide as walks take place up and down the country. 

The charity said its research had shown that 31 per cent of men in London will not share how they feel over a pint with friends, despite pubs being named as one of their favourite places to socialise and de-stress. 

But landlords are calling for this to change and say they want to highlight the need for men to confront their problems head on. 

The four landlords in question – Felix Marcuccio, Tim Skinner, James Bluemink and Lizzie Brodie – have issued a statement ahead of the event, saying: “We really look forward to the day itself and hope that we can play a part, no matter how big or small, in raising that money and addressing men’s mental health head on.

“We all work hard with our teams to create a safe place for our guests to socialise, one where they can talk openly about the issues that matter to them. De-stressing is important, but so is opening up to those we trust.”

HUMEN founder and actor River Hawkins said: “We all need friendly spaces to talk, listen and connect.

“Pubs are the cornerstone of communities, but as our research tells us, they are currently wasted on men – who would seemingly prefer to talk about anything other than their personal trials and tribulations.

“We truly believe that this type of gathering place can play an important role in addressing suicide and mental health, if we just harness it for good, rather than the traditional ‘drink and forget’ mentality that plagues male social circles.”

Pictured top: Two of the landlords taking part in Sunday’s event – James Bluemink of the The Elm (left) and Felix Marcuccio of the Two Bridges (Picture: HUMEN)