A free community conference next month will focus on the importance of talking about mental health.

Called ‘Courageous Conversations’, it takes place at Lighthouse, Poole on Friday November 18 – during Men’s Mental Health Month and the day before International Men’s Day.

Dorset Mind, the charity organising the conference, says the timing is no coincidence as men are a very important audience when it comes to talking about mental health.

74 per cent of UK deaths by suicide are men.

And men notoriously struggle to speak about their feelings and emotions.

One in four people in the UK will have a diagnosable mental health condition in their lifetime.

Open to everyone, the conference will tackle the stigma around mental health, suicide, and the power of talking and recovery.

It will be guided by Dorset Mind Works’ expert trainers and guest speakers.

The charity is asking everyone attending to take away #onesmallaction, to help provide support for either themselves or someone within their local community.

Linda O’Sullivan, pictured left, Dorset Mind CEO, said: “An important part of what we do here at Dorset Mind is to educate about mental health conditions, signs and symptoms.

“However, we also try to use education to challenge the stigma of complex conditions we still too often see within our communities.

“These issues are growing due to the impact of the cost of living crisis.

“By making mental health everyone’s business, we open the conversation up for us all to be involved.

“This has the effect of empowering people in Dorset to start talking more about mental health and the part they can play in their own recovery and wellbeing.”

Dr Andy Mayers, pictured right, Patron for Dorset Mind and Principal Academic at Bournemouth University, said: “We need to help more men to speak up about mental health.

“Traditionally, the masculine role in society is to keep quiet about such things.

“But all this does is internalise the mental health problem.

“This can then escalate to the point where the man is at even greater risk of suicide.

“We need to change that and encourage men to talk more openly about mental health and seek help.

“The sooner they do that, the sooner they can get the help they need.”

Tickets for the conference are free with an optional donation to help support the charity’s work.

A light lunch is also included.

The conference is sponsored by Lighthouse Poole, AFC Bournemouth Community Sports Trust and Trethowans.

To book your place please click here.