A men’s-only walking group with hundreds of members are hosting a special exhibition at Millwall to mark three years since they began as just two blokes on a walk.
The Proper Blokes Club began when Bermondsey boy Scott Oughton-Johnson decided to confront his own mental health issues head-on after experiencing a difficult time.
“I was in a custody battle for the best part of ten years when I separated from the mother of my children,” he said.
After having some therapy for anxiety and depression, the 36-year-old said he started walking around Southwark Park. Seeing how much better it made him feel, he said he was inspired to invite other men to a walk-and-talk group.
“The first time only one lad showed up,” Scott said.
But word quickly spread and cut to nearly three years later, according to Scott, there are around 270 members.
Although the more the merrier when it comes to people taking action with regard to their mental health, he said when it comes to their mission big groups can be counter-productive.
“From an organisation perspective, we obviously want more people, but smaller groups are better for getting people to chat and open up,” he said.
“So we do lots of walks in different areas – there are currently ten, mostly in south London.”
Although the group is meant for men, Scott said the biggest supporters are women.
“Most of the time, men who come get encouraged to by their wives, mothers and girlfriends. We’re grateful for that.”
To reach out to more men to get them talking, they are continuing their mission of spreading the word about men’s mental health in general.
On Friday, May 19 they are having a photo exhibition at Millwall Community Trust.
“It’ll be photos of some of the lads with a story beside them for people to come and read,” he said.
There’s a photographer in the group who did all the photos and others who got involved in other parts.
“Anyone is welcome, not just men. We are encouraging families to come too.”
“We’re not professionals,” Scott added, “but I hope through making safe spaces for men to speak we can slowly stop the stigma around mental health over generations.”
The exhibition is a drop-in from 6 pm-9 pm. Click here to book free tickets.
The Bermondsey walk is currently every Thursday at 6:30 pm, from The Angel Pub, 101 Bermondsey Wall East, SE16 4NB.
Click here for more information or to find a walk near you.