Men's Health Week reaches far and wide

Men's Health Week has been hailed a success — demonstrating how through effective partnership a difficult health message can be communicated nationally beyond the London media-bubble.

Matthew Maycock, who coordinated the week for the MHF, said: 'Once more activity around England and Wales at a local level was extremely varied and inventive.' Activities ranged from free health MOT's in York to a penalty shoot out competition in Manchester to a Pharmacy Campaign across all pharmacies in South Gloucestershire. Over 200,000 mini manuals were produced and distributed on a broad range of topics.

MHF CEO Peter Baker said: 'I was very impressed by the huge range of local activity taking place across England and Wales throughout the Week. Together with the launch in Gateshead, this shows that Men's Health Week is not just a London-focused and national media-led event but one that genuinely attempts to reach the man in the street wherever may be.'

It can be difficult to attract medica interest in long-term health conditions but the Forum's press officer Nigel Duncan noted an impressive level of media reporting. 'The Week received widespread media coverage. As well as stories in the national press, the Week's events were well coveraged in the regional press, particularly the Gateshead launch, and in the medical media. In addition, there were numerous radio interviews up and down the country during the Week.'