World Mental Health Day paired with the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures are a stark reminder of a reality we cannot ignore: too many men are losing their lives to suicide. These statistics reinforce the urgent need to continue supporting men's mental health and wellbeing.

In 2024, 6,190 suicides were registeredin England and Wales. The male suicide rate was 17.6 per 100,000, over threetimes higher than the rate per year for women.

Men aged 50–54 had the highest suiciderate, at 27.5 deaths per 100,000 each year. These figures are simply too highand surely - act as a momentous call for action?

So, what can be done?

Collectively we are working towards understanding the different barriers that prevent people from accessing support. And these deeply worrying statistics are a stark reminder that this challenge affects men from all walks of life, and only by working together to identify and address those barriers can we begin to turn the tide.

Our Randal Foundation has partnered with the Centre for Policy Research on Men and Boys (CPRMB) to reduce men’s suicide rates by 10% over the next 5 years – hoping to leverage community-based programmes which have shown, locally in some areas that they can be effective, as part of the solution.

To date, no studies have considered these community resources collectively – or measured whether they can underpin suicide prevention. We’ve been ambitious in our study design – and we’re pursuing answers.

To get these answers, we’ve funded expert-led research to assess how community-based programmes play a role in benefitting men’s mental health. With these community sourced insights, we’re aiming to help both devise interventions and help shape policy that will be better equipped to support men's mental health outcomes, across the UK for years to come.

But generating evidence is only the first step. The ultimate objective of this work is to turn robust, evidence-led research into meaningful national change. To help make that happen, I am spending an increasing amount of time in Westminster, sitting on boards and working alongside policymakers, think tanks and politicians to translate evidence into action. By championing the practical, evidence-based research CPRMB is delivering, I am committed to ensuring these insights help shape policy, inform decision-making and drive real change.

Our shared ambition is not simply to better understand the problem, but to directly influence the policies, services and systems that can prevent suicide and save lives for generations to come.

And our research is already providing a platform to expose deeper insights. It’s of grave concern to me that the ONS data on suicide shows this is one of the leading causes of death among children and young people too. Deeply worrying, the data highlights some important differences between groups too, differences which we need to understand as we work to tackle this problem of immense scale.

Suicide rates among 10 to 17-year-olds were significantly higher for boys than girls, suggesting that boys and young men may face particular challenges – perhaps in seeking or accessing support. The data also reveals that boys receiving Special Educational Needs (SEN) support were at even greater risk, with rates of death by suicide around 1.5 times higher amongst those without recorded SEN provision. These findings underline the importance of early intervention, targeted support, and ensuring that vulnerable young people have greater access to a range of support.

The figures also underline that geography and deprivation both play a key role in suicide rates. Across Wales the suicide rate was 15.7 deaths per 100,000 population in 2024, compared with 11.1 across the population in England. And among Welsh men particularly, deaths by suicide were almost 41% higher than for men in England.

This is profoundly complex territory, and by further understanding that complexity, through our study, we are identifying practical solutions that can be embedded into communities, services and ultimately, national policy. Research must lead to action.

What is clear to me, is that we muststart thinking about prevention earlier. Suicide is one of the leading causesof death among children and young people. But suicide is not inevitable.

Prevention means reaching men and boys before they reach crisis point. It means creating and strengthening support networks and services they will use and strengthening communities as places in which they feel connected and valued. It likely means recognising the importance of purpose, meaningful relationships, employment, friendships, and a strong sense of belonging. Our research has is revealing these key attributes as not optional, but essential if we are to meaningfully combat the risk of death by suicide.

And what’s stark, in early findings already – is that we must move beyond simply telling men to "talk". There are more important questions we must answer before this can truly help: are we creating the spaces, building the relationships and providing the services where men and boys feel able to talk?

And critically, is somebody ready to listen?