March for Men is an annual fundraising and awareness event primarily organised in the UK designed to spotlight men’s health issues. Most notably, it addresses prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health concerns. Participants typically join a sponsored walk often held in parks or city centres with family, friends, and even pets welcome to support the cause together.

The campaign emerged in response to alarming statistics: prostate cancer has become one of the leading cancer killers among men in the UK. A man dies from it every 45 minutes, and Black men face double the risk compared to their White counterparts. In Milton Keynes, for instance, the 2025 event included over 200 free PSA (prostate-specific antigen) tests, survivor panels, expert Q&A sessions, and culturally sensitive outreach in multiple languages illustrating how March for Men is about both awareness and action.

While there isn’t a single origin story pinned down, these events are typically held in June, aligning with Men’s Health Month a well-established campaign that originated in the U.S. in 1994 and has since spread globally.

Source: March For Men

Why It Matters: Beyond the Walk

Breaking the Silence Around Men’s Health

Men are far less likely to seek medical help even for serious issues. Only 60% attend regular check-ups, and many delay care until symptoms become severe. Campaigns like March for Men aim to reduce stigma, encourage early detection, and literally save lives.
Source: March For Men

Mental Health: The Other Men’s Health Crisis

While prostate cancer remains a focus, mental health is increasingly critical. Only 1 in 4 men seek professional support, despite many experiencing anxiety or depression. Social norms, stigma, and lack of emotional language all contribute to underdiagnosis and silence.

March for Men helps normalize vulnerability through shared walks, open conversations, and community support that challenge stereotypes of stoicism.

Solidarity in Action

Whether walking solo or in teams, participants send a clear message: men’s health matters to everyone. Fundraising supports vital research and services, turning a charity walk into a powerful movement for awareness, connection, and change.

The Link with Homelessness: Men, Marginalisation, and Mental Health

An important dimension often missing in discussions about men’s health is the intersection with homelessness:

• Homeless men face compounded risk: they’re more likely to suffer from untreated physical health issues, mental health disorders, and lack of access to social services.
• Prostate or mental health screening isn’t always accessible to people without stable homes. Mobile testing and community outreach like those included in March for Men can make a real difference.
• Mental health stigma is magnified among men experiencing homelessness, who may lack safe spaces to speak or seek care.

Bringing March for Men into contact with homelessness services and shelters perhaps by offering free screenings or mental health outreach during events could help bridge a vital gap.

Source: Men and mental health: What are we missing? | AAMC

How to Make a Difference: Suggestions for Engagement

Here are practical ways communities can make March for Men more impactful:

1. Participate or Organize Locally

Join local walks or start one! Partner with charities like Prostate Cancer UK or hospitals to bring testing or information sessions closer to communities.

2. Integrate Mental Health Support

Use event space to offer mental health check-ins, quiet zones, or invitations to men to talk not just about physical health, but emotional well-being too.

3. Reach Homeless and Marginalized Men

Collaborate with shelters, outreach programs, and street clinics to bring screenings, conversations, and mental health resources to men who might otherwise be left out.

4. Share Real Stories

Humanize the campaign by featuring survivors, men living with cancer, or those who have navigated difficult emotional journeys highlighting both physical and mental resilience.

5. Advocate for Policy Change

Events like the Milton Keynes March for Men already push for a national prostate screening programme. You could also advocate for policies that ensure homeless men have equitable access to men’s health services.

6. Normalize Asking for Help

At work or in your circle, encourage men to say, “I’m not OK,” and to reach out. That small shift in culture begins to dismantle damaging ideals of “toughness” as silence.

Conclusion

March for Men is more than a walk it’s a call to listen, to act, and to care deeply about men’s health in all its forms. From prostate cancer and medical screenings to mental health and the scarcely addressed issue of homelessness, the campaign brings communities together and signals that men’s vulnerability is not weakness it is human.

By walking, talking, fundraising, and advocating, we can transform a once-silent struggle into a shared path forward one step, one conversation, one life at a time.

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