This is the final spotlight in Daddies Do Too’s independent men’s mental health drive, following Andy’s Man Club, Mentell, Men Who Talk and Men’s Sheds. Different settings, one message: you do not have to carry everything alone.
There are plenty of things men will talk about without a second thought. Work. Football. Cars. Money. The kids. Something ridiculous somebody did at work.
Ask a bloke how he is doing, though, and the answer can be very different.
“Yeah, all good.”
Even when it isn’t.
For dads, that can become particularly complicated. You’ve got people depending on you. Bills need paying. Kids need looking after. Relationships need effort. Work doesn’t stop because you’re struggling. Somewhere amongst all of that, looking after your own head can slide surprisingly far down the list.
That’s why Men Walking & Talking caught my attention. The idea is almost ridiculously simple: men go for a walk together and talk. Or listen. Or simply walk.
What is Men Walking & Talking?
Men Walking & Talking, often shortened to MWAT, says it was started by Dan Reid in Telford in 2021 after his own experiences with anxiety, depression and seeking mental health support. What began with one attendee on the first walk has grown considerably.
The aim is straightforward: bring men together in a safe space, challenge the stigma around men’s mental health and give men somewhere to support one another.
Crucially, this isn’t therapy and nobody has to arrive ready to unpack their life story. The local groups describe relaxed, peer-led walks where there is no pressure to discuss mental health at all.
Why walking shoulder-to-shoulder makes sense
Imagine two situations.
In the first, somebody sits opposite you and asks: “Tell me how you’re feeling.”
In the second, you’re walking beside another bloke and somewhere between talking about work, the weather and whether your knees are getting old, you say: “Actually mate, things have been pretty rough recently.”
For some men, that second conversation may simply feel easier. There’s no demand to make the walk into a counselling session. You can talk about what’s bothering you, talk about something completely different, or just enjoy having some company.
That matters because telling men to “talk more” only gets us so far. We also need places where those conversations can happen naturally.
Keep the walking part in perspective
This shouldn’t be oversold. Going for a walk isn’t a cure for depression or anxiety, and a peer-support group isn’t a substitute for professional care when somebody needs it.
A regular walk can offer movement, company and a reason to leave the house. Those are useful possibilities, not a guarantee of better mental health. Choose an activity and pace that suit your health and mobility, and seek professional advice when you need it.
Combine movement with getting outside, routine, social contact and an opportunity to speak to other men, and the basic concept behind MWAT becomes pretty compelling.
You don’t have to be struggling to turn up
This might be the bit I like most.
Mental health support is too often treated as something we access only after things have gone badly wrong. MWAT’s local walks take away some of that threshold. For example, the Kenilworth group explicitly says there is no agenda and no pressure. Men are welcome whether they want to open up or simply enjoy some company.
It’s free. There is no booking requirement. You can just turn up.
That is a very different proposition from feeling that you need to declare yourself as somebody who “needs help” before you’re allowed through the door.
Why I think this could be particularly useful for dads
Fatherhood can be incredibly social while simultaneously being strangely isolating.
You’re surrounded by people, but friendships and regular social contact can become harder to maintain once work, children, relationships and everything else start competing for the same hours.
And some conversations aren’t easy to start at home.
- You might be worried about money.
- Your relationship might be struggling.
- You might hate your job but feel trapped because your family depends on your income.
- You might feel as though you’re failing as a dad.
- You might simply be knackered and wondering whether every other father feels the same.
We’ve written before about whether dads feel able to show difficult emotions and about the value of local support for fathers. An initiative like MWAT sits neatly between those two things: somewhere ordinary where men can spend time together without needing a crisis as the price of admission.
Men Walking and Talking in Warwickshire
For readers around Warwickshire, the official Kenilworth listing is one starting point. Check the current meeting time, exact starting point, route and any cancellation notices before travelling. Elsewhere in the UK, use MWAT’s walk finder to see what is available near you.
What should you expect on your first walk?
Based on MWAT’s current group information, probably less ceremony than you might expect.
You don’t need to prepare what you’re going to say. You don’t need to book. You don’t need to prove that you’re struggling enough to be there.
Turn up, meet the group and walk.
If you want to talk about your mental health, there’s room for that. If you’d rather spend an hour talking rubbish and getting some fresh air, that’s allowed too.
Peer support is not professional treatment
It’s important not to blur that line. MWAT is peer support, not a replacement for professional mental health treatment.
If you are in immediate danger or think you may act on thoughts of harming yourself, call 999 or go to A&E. Samaritans can also be contacted free on 116 123, 24 hours a day. MWAT maintains its own mental health and emergency support links.
But there is an enormous amount of life between “I’m completely fine” and “I’m in crisis”. That’s where community, friendship and peer support can matter.
Maybe men need more places where we don’t have to pretend
I don’t think the answer to men’s mental health is simply telling men to talk.
Who are we supposed to talk to? Where? When? And how do you start that conversation when you’ve spent years becoming extremely good at saying you’re fine?
Men Walking & Talking offers a remarkably uncomplicated answer.
Here. While we’re walking. Whenever you’re ready.
For a dad carrying more than he’s admitting, perhaps knowing there’s somewhere he can simply turn up one evening is enough to start something.
And if nothing is wrong? Go for the walk anyway. Meet some blokes. Get outside. Have a laugh.
Looking after your mental health doesn’t need to start when you’re losing it.
Daddies Do Too has no commercial relationship with Men Walking & Talking. This article was written independently because we believe the organisation may be a useful resource for dads and other men. Walk times and locations were checked at the time of writing – always confirm current details with MWAT before attending.
Illustrative AI-generated image, not a photograph of the organisation or an actual group meeting. This is independent Daddies Do Too editorial coverage, not a partnership or endorsement.
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