Greater Manchester has become the first area in the UK to introduce a strategy specifically aimed at addressing gender-based violence against men and boys. The initiative outlines measures to address domestic abuse and sexual assault, increase awareness of available support services, and enhance trauma management training for professionals.

After a busy Christmas and New Year, we have now Auld Lang Syne’d our way into 2025. In truth, end of year celebrations brings little respite for the First People Housing staff and there is much to focus on as we embark on the new year. With that being said, I think it is important to highlight the wins – big and small, before putting the year in the rearview mirror. Nelson Mandela famously said: “The world needs moments of celebration. It’s a way to bring us together.” I agree with him, so this blog will provide insight on the successes we had in 2024 and some of our plans for the year ahead.

November is here. All the “back to school” gear you bought for your children is ripped, broken and just in time for you to replace it, you now have Christmas lists and non-stop Mariah Carey to contend with.

On October 30^th 2024, Rachel Reeves delivered the first Labour budget for 15 years. The last one, delivered by Alistair Darling and Gordon Brown in 2009, was heavily focused on guiding the UK through the global financial crisis instigated the previous year.

Everybody thinks they have the hardest job in the world. When I worked in McDonalds as a teenager I felt that way. In my current day job I still feel that way. The reality is we internalise our issues that may seem trivial to those who do not spend a day in our shoes and in the moment they can seem like life-or-death insurmountable issues. This is the case for doctors, nurses, paramedics etc. However, most of the issues people at face are only big problems to us – not the outside world.

We have reached mid-October in the UK. The summer is behind us which means one thing – we’re going to spend the next four months exasperated at the weather in Britian. We love to talk about the weather in the UK. A South African friend of mine recently told me it was the most noticeable thing about moving to the country, which is underwhelming in all fairness.

For the first time in 15 years, the keynote speech at the Labour Party Conference was delivered by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. It was a home game for the PM, with a typically optimistic crowd of members, colleagues and supporters drowning his soft spoken tone with claps and cheers seemingly (and annoyingly) interminably throughout the 54 minute speech. 

In September of this year, the Labour government implemented their early prisoner release scheme aimed at freeing space in prisons. The plan was initially proposed by Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government, however after the general election in July, Labour made tweaks and implemented the scheme last week. While it has received widespread backlash across the media, at FPH we certainly agree with freeing those jailed under minor offences and offering ex-prisoners opportunity and shelter.

Councils across England and prominent charity and media figures have called for the introduction of a National Men’s Health Strategy in the UK following the publishing of two damning reports. The reports conducted by The Local Government Association (LGA) which represents councils across England, and the preeminent charity Movember respectively, have outlined a worrying trend of preventable male deaths and a disparity between early death rates in affluent and deprived areas.

First People Housing and many other charities have continually called on government action to help tackle homelessness and rough sleeping. The change of government in July has sparked optimism among advocates that real change can be carried out over the coming years to aid the efforts of advocates and charities across the space.  

Homelessness and rough sleeping is a rapidly deteriorating issue in England. While it may not dominate the headlines, the figures on the issue speak for themselves, with 2024 government estimates stating estimate that 3898 people were sleeping rough in England last year, an increase of over 25% from the previous year’s figures.

The UK has faced many political, societal and economic issues since the turn of the century. While many of the headline grabbers dominate the news cycle day in and day out, an underlying crisis in the country continues to fly under the radar: Mental Health Among Males.

The UK is in the early phase of a new government. After 14 years of Tory leadership, five Prime Ministers, a coalition, Brexit and a steep rise in homelessness and rough sleeping, the country voted for Labour to take power and for Keir Starmer to lead Britain for the next five years.