To mark World Suicide Prevention Day, the 10th of September, our Men’s Health Programme take on their most challenging Pavee Glokes Hike and Talk yet — all the way to the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
The group of eleven Traveller men will spend the next five days on the Camino to raise awareness around Traveller mental health, recovery and the importance of having collective spaces for open conversations and identifying collective solutions. The group have been preparing for the pilgrimage over the last 12 months.
‘As Traveller men, the mental health crisis for our community remains as severe today as it was in 2010 when All Ireland Traveller Health Study was undertaken,’ says John Collins, Pavee Point Men’s Health Programme, ‘we work on the ground using a community work approach, and it is targeted work like the Hike and Talk — like the Camino pilgrimage — where we can walk and talk shoulder to shoulder as Traveller men, raise awareness and show others that recovery is possible.’
‘This health crisis isn’t a mystery,’ say Michael Collins, Pavee Point Men’s Health Programme, ‘it affects fathers, brothers, uncles — families across the country. It is caused by racism, discrimination, barriers to education, lack of employment, homelessness and severe overcrowding. All of this impacts on our mental health.’
Policy actions associated with Traveller mental health were established by the National Traveller Health Action Plan 2022-2027. The HSE National Traveller Mental Health Working Group is responsible for coordinating these actions and are currently co-developing the Traveller Mental Health Action Plan.
Pavee Point recently supported the Department of Health in the development of Ireland’s new Strategy to Reduce Suicide and Self-harm, ‘Connecting for Life: 2026-2035’. The Strategy recognises the disproportionate impact of suicide on Travellers and the role that racism, social exclusion and other social determinants play in shaping mental health outcomes.
Read ‘Connecting for Life: 2026-2035’ here [NALA summary]: https://tinyurl.com/538jwbhf
#WorldSuicidePreventionDay #WSPD2026 #ChangingTheNarrative #PaveeGlokes #HikeAndTalk