Men's mental health group in Suffolk eases strain on NHS services

A men's mental health group that runs sport sessions such as yoga, football and darts, has been used as an informal referral service by the NHS. Moreton Men Sports Group, based in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, was initially formed in 2024 with 15 members as a six-a-side football team, but has grown to include more than 200 people. The Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) said it informally referred men who did not need clinical intervention but "would benefit from support within their community" to the group, which has members aged from 17 to 52. Adam Townsend, 39, who started the group to combat his own loneliness, believed it could "take some of the strain off the NHS". Townsend said: "Through my own mental health journey, I went to the doctors and noticed that there was a gap for support groups for men in the area, particularly men my age. "I wanted to tackle loneliness, and we feel like this group can do that. It embraces all people in the community. Whether you are new to the area [or] to the country, don't have many friends or have loads of friends." Through its activities and sports, the group encouraged men to talk and open up, Townsend said. "There is a taboo about