I joined the Oswestry Men Walking and Talking group back in 2021 not long after it started. My wife shared the group to me via messenger and said I should take a look. At the time but not known by myself, my Dad’s 20 year battle with Parkinson’s was slowly coming to an end. I had struggled for many years with his diagnosis but Parkinson’s just became part of our families normal lives not realising how it was really affecting me.

On joining the group, I realised that I wasn’t the only son/man feeling the way I did and discovered that one of the walking group members had been through a similar experience a few years prior. Being able to talk about how I was feeling was such a release and it allowed me to start to process the years of hurt and pain i had been feeling.

Dad passed away in 2022 but I kept walking every week as our group had become part of my weekly routine and I looked forward to seeing the guys. About twelve months ago the opportunity arose for me to take the position of group leader, I didn’t have to think to long about it as I thought how much the group had supported me through the last year of Dad’s life and the grieving process afterwards. I wanted the group to continue to reach out and support other men by being there for them and that there were probably other men struggling with similar feelings as myself without anyone to talk to, I have amazing family and friends which I’m so thankful for but as life is busy for all of us, trying to find time with them is a challenge at the best of times.

The Men Walking and Talking group allows me to have that one hour a week to myself in which I am surrounded by a group of like minded men. The group have been involved in numerous community events supporting local charities and we continue to look for ways we can help locally as a group as it is really rewarding to do and gives a sense of purpose, Our little group consistently shows up week after week for each other and for potential new walkers, sometimes there’s 4 of us other weeks there’s double figures but numbers don’t matter its all about being there for each other. I hope the group will continue to grow from strength to strength as I feel it’s so important for men to be able to talk openly and honestly about their feelings and have a safe space to do so without any judgement.

Gaz