Young men need mature male role models
and a reason to connect
How We Help
We cannot save the world with magic silver bullets. But we can turn up, show we care and do our best to make a difference here and now. Here's how.
Our vision is to create communities where adults support young men during their transition from childhood to adulthood.
This requires a recognition and witnessing of the boy on the verge of stepping into adulthood; a moment where he can be seen to be seen, and invited to being the journey of leaving childhood attitudes behind and stepping up to be the man he wants to be, with all the responsibility, courage and honour that this requires. This is his rite of passage.
True community and support for these young men requires ongoing time and connection with adult male role models. They need space to explore and practice their interactions with others. They can learn how to handle conflict, responsibility, stress, feelings of shame, joy, anger… you name it. This is achieved through patient mentoring on a regular basis in local groups.
Ultimately, a lot of the work we do revolves around supporting the men who step up to mentor the boys. To be effective adult male role models, we have to be willing to explore our own challenges and triggers as men. ‘Being a man’ can never be reduced to some perfect ideal; we need to deal with the conflict, responsbility, stress, feelings of shame, joy and anger that come up for us in this work as well. Creating communities of men means working with this ourselves as well.
Rites Of Passage
A yearly event where new boys explore what type of man they aspire to be. The challenges they face encourage awareness and enquiry around the qualities and character they bring to the world, now and in future.
Strong affirmation and community support helps them better connect with their families and community.
Local Meetups
Men hold a regular local space where boys can feel confident to turn up and tell their truths, exploring their character and what type of men they want to become.
There is a strong focus on emotional integrity and honesty, play, support and simple human connection.
Training and Support for Men
Men meet without boys, asking how they can turn up and be present for their community, bringing and sharing their gifts and experience.
It is a chance for men to explore what it means to model healthy adult male behaviour and how they can positively show up in the world.
Building A Better Society
A local vision for long-term social change
JourneymanUK is all about relationship and support in local communities.
Men support today’s boys. Those boys will grow up with greater emotional awareness and the inner strength to face life’s challenges. In ten years time, they will be grown men themselves, supporting tomorrow’s boys.
Our work patiently and persistently plants seeds of healthy long-term relationships between adults and young people. We change society for the better by investing in the emotional integrity of today’s young men.