We launched Mr Porter almost nine years ago and in that time have managed to build a powerful audience with over 3million visitors coming to the site each month. So it seemed we were long overdue a concerted effort to use our platform, and our community, to support a cause that at some point will touch nearly all of our lives.
Shockingly, every minute of every day a man dies by suicide; suicide is the biggest killer of men under the age of 35. There are many causes, of course, but one for sure is the inability a lot of men have to share their problems, anxieties and insecurities with each other; a dangerous reluctance to discuss the issues that can later scare some men into taking such desperate measures.
By talking to various charities that work in this arena, and especially with the insights shared with us by Movember, now our global charity partner, we discovered that the key to unlocking mental wellness often begins with a conversation. And so we have just launched our Health in Mind initiative, a charity whose ambition is to help men lead happier lives by igniting a global conversation.
In practical terms, we’re launching dedicated content programs with expert advice and guidance that will address all areas of a man’s life across all of our digital platforms; we’ve set up a Health in Mind hub that will collate all the fund’s content and give visitors the ability to support numerous fund-raising activities; we are launching a series of talks and get-togethers in various Soho House venues across the world, and numerous fund-raising initiatives, including a range of exclusive T-shirts by top designers that we’re currently selling on the site with 100% net profits going to the charity.
It’s going to take a lot more than that to solve this problem, of course, but it’s a start. If you don’t follow the DJ, Fat Tony on Instagram – dj_fattony_ you should. He’s very funny and usually highly inappropriate. But he recently posted a quote, in his usual says-it-as-it-is tone, that was touching and true:
“Don’t suffer in silence because ‘noone wants to hear about your depression’. I’d rather hear about your depression, anxiety, stress etc than hear about your death. Let’s fight this s***.”
He’s right. We all need to come together and do our best to share both our highs and our lows, to not be embarrassed by airing our failures as well as our successes.
After all, it’s the trials and the errors we face that make us human; and it’s empathy and compassion that makes us humane.
Jeremy Langmead is the Brand and Content Director at Mr Porter
