International Men's Day

IMD 24 Global Theme: Men’s Health Champions

International Men’s Day (IMD) 2024, taking place globally on Tuesday, 19th November, focuses on the theme "Men’s Health Champions". This year's theme highlights the critical importance of improving the health and wellbeing of men and boys, not as a competition with others but as part of a wider effort to promote better health for all. The day offers an opportunity to explore how everyone – men, women, and communities – can support this cause.

Portsmouth's International Men's Day 2024

International Men’s Day celebrates worldwide the positive value men bring to the world, their families and communities. We highlight positive role models and raise awareness of men’s well-being.

Portsmouth's only official International Men's Day event returns for its third consecutive year and is being organised by IMD Partners, Dadzclub who want to do all that we can to promote positive male voices from our community that inspire and help others. That is why on International Men's Day we are hosting an inclusive event that brings people and organisations together to listen, share and inspire.

When

This year's event will be kicking off with a few pop up events including workshops and talks from previous award recipients and supporters!

The main event will be taking place on the evening of Friday 22nd November.

The Venue

This year's event will be held at a surprise pop up location on Fratton Road, more will be revealed about this venue later. Guests will be greeted with a drinks reception on arrival and further refreshments will be available.

Location:

The Forge

83 Fratton Rd

Portsmouth, PO1 5AG

Enjoy delicious food throughout the evening, whilst enjoying great music and connecting with local organisations and listening to a diverse range of Inspirational Speakers.

The highlight of the evening will be the Appreciation Awards Ceremony that will shine a light on some truly inspirational men, boys and masculine identifying people.

We will be presenting 6 awards during the evening in the following categories:

Dadzclub Parenting Award

Mental Health & Wellbeing

Community and Inclusion

Unsung Hero

Inspiring Young Male

Overcoming Adversity

The ongoing UK themes for International Men's Day 2024 are:

Making a positive difference to the wellbeing and lives of men and boys
Promoting a positive conversation about men, manhood and masculinity
Raising awareness and/or funds for charities supporting men and boys’ wellbeing

Dress to impress! (Wear what makes you feel fabulous!)

KEEP SCROLLING FOR INFORMATION ON NOMINATIONS!

Introducing our special guest speaker Colin MacLachlan

We are thrilled to announce that Colin MacLachlan, a former SAS soldier and original star of SAS: Who Dares Wins, will be joining us as a special guest speaker for this year's International Men's Day event on Friday, 22nd November 2024, at The Forge. This event, hosted by Dadzclub, will be an incredible opportunity to hear from one of the UK's most inspiring figures, whose story of resilience, leadership, and personal development aligns perfectly with our event's themes of growth, wellbeing, and community.

Colin MacLachlan is no stranger to challenging environments, having served in the British Army for over 25 years, with much of his career spent as an elite soldier in the Special Air Service (SAS). He has seen active service across the globe, including in war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan, and was involved in some of the most high-profile and dangerous missions of the modern military era.

Colin's transition from military life to a public figure on SAS: Who Dares Wins has been both remarkable and inspiring. The Channel 4 series showcases the intense physical and mental demands faced by SAS soldiers, with Colin drawing on his personal experiences to push civilian contestants through gruelling challenges designed to test their limits. His down-to-earth approach and unshakeable determination have made him a relatable and motivational figure to many.

But Colin's story is not just about physical toughness; it’s also about the power of mental resilience and emotional endurance. After leaving the SAS, Colin has been an advocate for mental health and veteran support, openly discussing the importance of managing trauma, stress, and the mental scars that come from military service. His insight into these issues brings an important perspective to discussions around men’s mental health, which is a key focus of this year’s International Men's Day.

At our event, Colin will share his journey of overcoming extreme situations, managing mental health, and how the principles of SAS training can be applied to everyday life. His talk promises to be an empowering session for all attendees, providing valuable lessons in perseverance, emotional strength, and the importance of support networks.

Join us for this special event and be inspired by Colin MacLachlan's incredible story, his work on mental health, and his commitment to fostering resilience in men of all ages. Don't miss the chance to hear from this exceptional individual at Dadzclub's International Men's Day Appreciation Awards Ceremony.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Introducing our Speakers

Bill Moulsdale

We’re honoured to welcome Bill Moulsdale as one of our guest speakers for International Men's Day. Founder of a successful business with a vision grounded in passion and quality, Bill has navigated his own journey through prostate cancer with resilience and insight. Beyond his personal story, Bill has played a vital role in uniting local businesses through LinkedIn Local events, fostering connections and support within our community. He’ll be sharing his experiences with us, delivering a powerful message that underscores the importance of health awareness, determination, and solidarity. Join us to hear Bill's inspiring story and his dedication to overcoming challenges, both in life and in business.

Introducing the night's entertainment!

Mantando

Mantando is Portsmouth's premier contemporary male voice choir, bringing together a diverse group of voices to celebrate the rich tradition of choral music with a modern twist.

Known for its powerful performances and dynamic repertoire, Mantando blends classic and contemporary pieces, offering a fresh take on male choral singing that resonates with audiences of all ages. Whether performing at community events, festivals, or charity gatherings, Mantando aims to inspire and uplift, uniting voices across the city through the power of song.

Ricky Tart Music

Ricky Tart is a captivating storyteller who blends the surreal with the everyday, creating memorable, thought-provoking tales that keep audiences on their toes. Using a unique mix of poetry, rap, song, and theatre, Ricky crafts imaginative narratives that might involve anything from Penguins and warring conjoined twins to Schrödinger’s Lottery Ticket or even an ode to his eyebrows.

With performances at major festivals like Edinburgh, Bestival, and Cheltenham Jazz, and appearances in theatres from Soho to Wolverhampton Grand, Ricky is a dynamic artist whose collaborative work in music, film, and poetry has delighted audiences across the South of England.

International Men's Day Appreciation Awards

We are excited to announce that the nominations for International Men’s Day Appreciation Award Ceremony are now open and we can't wait to receive your nominations for those inspirational men in our community!

The Appreciation Awards Ceremony will take place in Portsmouth on the evening of Friday 22nd November and promises to be a prestigious night full of inspiring stories!

Successful nominations will be notified on or before Saturday 9th November, each award recipient will receive a ticket for themselves and a guest to attend the event where they will receive acknowledgment and be presented with an official International Men's Day Certificate and one of our International Men's Day Awards!

The panel will be using what you have written about your nominee to make their decisions so think carefully about what you write. The six awards have been set deliberately broad to encourage greater participation. The important thing is that the recipient identifies as male and that their action’s are deserving of appreciation.

We wish that we could give every deserving nomination an award, we honestly would if we could!

As a small way to involve and celebrate as many men and boys as possible we will provide a link to a downloadable certificate to print and give to those deserving men and boys in our community.

To nominate someone, we recommend that you get their permission or from their parent or carer if they are under 18 years of age. You may also be contacted about your nomination.

You may only nominate the same person once and duplicate forms will be discounted.

The awards are decided by a panel and will be based on what is written about any one nominee not necessarily on the number of times the same person is nominated.

The closing date for nominations will be at midnight on 5th November 2024.

By completing this nomination form you are accepting the T&C's which can be found at the bottom of this page.

Award Pillars

Dadzclub Parenting Award
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Community and Inclusion
Unsung Hero
Inspiring Young Male
Overcoming Adversity

Submit a Nomination

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Terms and Conditions

Additional Information

Please read these terms and conditions carefully, as if you enter you are bound by these rules.

The Dadzclub International Men's Day Awards is open to residents within the United Kingdom only and excludes members of the Parenting Network or Dadzclub staff members.
To be eligible to receive an award, the nominated person must identify as male and must live or work within Portsmouth, Southampton and IOW.
The competition submissions start in September 2024 and close at 23:30 on 2nd November 2023 (the “Closing Date”). No entries can be made before the Start Date or after the Closing Date. Entries received after the Closing Date will not be counted.
To enter, participants should complete the online nomination form.
The finalists will be selected by a panel after assessing entries based on how well they demonstrate one or more of the pillars. The finalists will be notified using the email address entered on the nomination form.
If we do not hear back from a the award recipient within 48hrs after we have notified them, we reserve the right to disqualify this winner and choose another one.
If you are selected to receive an award, you agree to your name being published on this website and on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Awards will be presented at an awards ceremony on 22ND November. No cash alternative is available.
We regret that we can not post or deliver the award to recipients if they are unable to attend the event. Award recipients will need to make arrangements to collect the award from The Parenting Network office in Portsmouth.
Individuals can only nominate the same person once. Entries generated by script, macro, robotic, programming, or any other automated means outside of the Website are prohibited and will be disqualified. No purchase necessary. Only valid and correctly completed entries will be accepted.
Individuals cannot use secondary email addresses to increase the number of times a person is nominated.
If a dispute arises regarding who submitted an entry, the entry will be deemed to be submitted by the authorised account holder of the account and name provided at time of entry. Authorised account holder is defined as: the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, Facebook or Twitter, online service provider, or other organisation responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address.
We reserve the right to cancel, amend, withdraw, terminate or temporarily suspend this competition in the event of any unforeseen circumstances or technical reason outside its reasonable control, with no liability to any entrants or third parties.
We reserve the right to disqualify any entries and withhold any award which may have been won if we believe that an entrant has not complied with the Website Terms. And reserve the right to take appropriate legal action if necessary. The competition judge’s decision is final and no discourse will be entered into.
Any awards damaged after presentation will not be replaced or refunded.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Promoter shall not be liable for any damage, loss or injury or death arising from the award of a prize. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in our terms and conditions of participation in the competition shall limit our liability for any liability the limitation of which is not permitted by law.
By participating in the awards event, entrants are deemed to have read and understood and, agree to be bound by, these terms and conditions and privacy policies.