Men's Mental Health
News
Mental Health Awareness Week 2025
Thursday, 15 May, 2025This Mental Health Awareness week, Bath Spa University has created a video spotlighting the importance of Men’s Mental Health.
Directed and Produced by Matt Francis and Cecilia Galvin, both BSU staff and alumni, the video features numerous male students, staff and graduates sharing their experiences of mental health.
Designed to break the stigma and spotlight the importance of conversation, the video chimes with the theme of ‘community’ that is running throughout Mental Health Awareness Week this year.
Recent reports have shown that 40% of men have never spoken about their mental health, with the motivation behind this video designed to encourage conversation and reflect the importance of opening up.
Discussing the video’s concept, Matt commented:
“None of the speakers knew what the question was going to be before they opened that envelope.
We wanted to ask three different questions that reflected the theme but also merged well together. That essence of community is present throughout the video and each speaker conveys a different emotion and experience, which I think is really powerful.”
With speakers ranging from first year students to experienced members of staff, the video reflects the strong community that exists within BSU.
The speakers featured include:
- Joe Byerley – Second Year Student
- Callum Crowther – First Year Student
- Matt Francis – Senior Comms, PR and Social Media Officer
- Kobe Distin – Graduate Digital Fluency Engagement Officer
- Caleb Mutombwa – STS Team Leader
- James Allen – Photography Lecturer
- Steve Parsons – Student Wellbeing Project and Activities Coordinator
- James Rumble – Educational Partnerships Officer
- Louis Green – Graduate Content Producer
- Darren Barnfield – Videography Assistant
Reflecting on the final product, Matt added:
“I can’t thank everyone enough for their sincerity and transparency. It takes a lot to speak freely in that context and I couldn’t be prouder of everyone involved in creating a video that, hopefully, will resonate with many and encourage a more open conversation surrounding men’s mental health.”
The video is available to watch on the Bath Spa University YouTube and social media channels and anyone affected by the issues raised can find more information on our Student Wellbeing page.
