Sunrise walk in Manchester to support men’s mental health with actress Emma Rigby

The walk’s length reflects the number of men who have taken their own lives in the UK in 2020.

Manchester residents are being encouraged to join in a sunrise walk against male suicide as part of a campaign backed by a leading TV actor.

The charity Humen is launching its Rise Against Suicide Sunrise Walk and is asking people to get their trainers on and get out on foot to show their support on 28 November.

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Walks are taking place across the UK, including one in Manchester.

The campaign is being run in partnership with sportswear retail business Decathlon and has a host of celebrity backers who will be leading the walks.

What is the Rise Against Suicide Sunrise Walk?

The Rise Against Suicide Sunrise Walk is being held on 28 November and covers a distance of 4,657m.

This has been chosen as Humen says 4,567 men died by suicide in the UK in 2020.

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Altogether 11 walks, each departing at sunrise, have been organised from Decathlon stores across the country.

The Manchester one starts at the Ashton New Road store before embarking on a route that takes walkers past the velodrome before going through Philips Park.

A number of stars, including actress Emma Rigby, film and television actor Andrew Scott, model David Gandy, comedian Alan Carr, actor Bill Nighy, musician Tom Odell and rugby player Danny Cipriani have lent their support to the challenge and are encouraging the public to get involved for this vital cause.

Emma, who stars in the charity’s campaign video and has been in shows including Hollyoaks and Prisoners’ Wives, will be leading the Manchester walk.

You can sign up for the sunrise walk at Humen’s website.

Why is the walk taking place?

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Humen says that three out of four suicides in the UK are male .

It hopes the walk will raise money for its work with men in need of support with their mental health and also inspire more men to get active and talk.

Sponsored groups of walkers will trek a metre for every man who completed suicide in 2020 and every family that has therefore been affected by suicide.

The campaign asks the question “What If?” and “Who are you rising for?” by commemorating the lives sadly lost over the past year.

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It also aims to raise awareness with both institutions and the government for a cause which Humen says is often badly neglected.

The charity runs The HUMEN Space, a selection of anonymous and non-clinical safe spaces for men to talk, listen and connect on a regular basis across the UK.

What has been said about the walk?

Actress Emma said the shocking statistics on suicide in her Merseyside home town first encouraged her to get involved with Humen, for whom she is now an ambassador.

She said: “I am from St Helens which has the highest rate of male suicide in the UK. I began to learn more about the horrific statistics around male suicide and self-harm admissions after hearing MP Conor McGinn speak during a House of Commons debate.

Actress Emma Catherine Rigby is supporting the Manchester walk against male suicideActress Emma Catherine Rigby is supporting the Manchester walk against male suicide
Actress Emma Catherine Rigby is supporting the Manchester walk against male suicide
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“I want to do what I can to help the devastating situation. I urge anyone who can to join me on 28 November to walk in honour of those lost, and to prevent further damage from being done to underprivileged communities.”

River Hawkins, founder and CEO of Humen, said: “I founded HUMEN to address the root causes of this epidemic of suicides in men rather than only the aftermath. HUMEN focuses on preventative action, prevention is better than cure because there is no cure once someone has ended their life.

“We can’t always see the battles our fathers, brothers, husbands, sons, and friends are facing.

“We want to honour those men we’ve lost to suicide to rise against it, the sisters, mothers, wives, girlfriends, and friends of these men and to encourage men who may be struggling to see another sunrise, begin anew and keep going. Who will you rise for?”