Men's Health Week 2016: Press Release Template

How to set out your press release

A press release is very useful for sharing details of your event with journalists and local media outlets. You can send one before or after an event (or both), depending on how you best think coverage would work – naturally sending it out before can, if published attract people to take part, but afterwards may have greater impact with photographs and stories/quotations from the day. You can also put them on your own website and on social media.

In general, TV and radio will only work with press releases before an event. Printed media can also work with press releases after an event – especially if they include a striking or interesting photograph.

Below is an example press release to help you construct your own. Nowadays most media organisations prefer press releases by email, so simply copy and paste the text into an email in order to be able to tailor it to your needs. If you attach a photograph, make sure it is at the highest resolution possible from your phone or camera.

Contact details: <name, telephone number, e-mail address> Mr Joseph Newman, 020 7922 7908, joseph.newman@newtown.gov.uk

Date: 15/06/2016

<Headline/Email Subject Line> Press Release: Newtown Health Centre works with local businesses to improve health of men.

<What you did> Newtown Health Centre is today launching a major new initiative for men as part of national Men's Health Week.

<More Information focusing on the news value - what's new?> Doctors and nurses from the Centre have set up a mobile health check which will tour local businesses, offering men free information and advice on how to achieve a healthy weight. Men will be able to get weighed and blood pressure and cholesterol checks will also be available.

<Why you did it/are doing it> The Centre is offering this service to encourage employers to raise awareness of the importance of men's health in the workplace. It also hopes to encourage men in to take better care of their health and to make more use of health services. The Centre believes that more must be done to improve men's health since too many men die prematurely, often because of problems linked to work and employment. Men are often unable to visit their GP due to many surgeries being closed out of working hours.

<Local stats from www.healthprofiles.info> Life expectancy is <xx> years lower for men and <yy> years lower for women in the most deprived areas of <name local authority/area> than in the least deprived areas.

<Specific Details & Quotation from those affected> The first company that the health check team will visit was the local Engineering Works. Mr X Chairman of the Engineering Works commented, 'We all know men don't look after their health as well as they could and I have to admit I'm no exception. It's great that the health Centre is reaching out to local businesses and really getting their message across. You never know, a quick check-up could result in a longer life.'

<Quotation from You/Expert> Newtown Health Centre's Director, Dr. Z said, 'Because men are often reluctant to visit a doctor we've decided to take this new service to them. It's convenient, it's free, it's quick and it's completely confidential. We hope that this will help raise awareness with both local employers and local men about health issues.'

<Situate the event with National Event context> Newtown Health Centre's initiative is one of hundreds taking place throughout the country during Men's Health Week. The Week is organised by the Men's Health Forum, a charity that promotes men's health, and is backed by a wide range of other health organisations and charities.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

<Describe your Service/Organisation> The Newtown Health Centre is a local NHS health-care centre serving Newtown and nearby parishes.
<If you're running an event give all details including time, postcode, contact number> There will be a photo opportunity on Monday June 15 at 2.00 pm at Newtown Health Centre, New Street, Newtown, NN1 1NN. Local contact: Ms Jo Newman, 07777 777777.
The Men's Health Forum, the national charity leading Men's Health Week is online at www.menshealthforum.org.uk and can be contacted on 020 7922 7908,
Men's Health Week runs from 15th-21st June. This year it focuses on healthy living for men. It challenges men to:
- Look after their relationships and wellbeing
- Don’t smoke
- Drink Sensibly
- Be active
- Watch their weight
- Turn up to their NHS Health Check
Local health statistics - including differences in male life expectancy in the local area - can be found at www.healthprofiles.info
<If you're using a photograph> Attached photograph shows a, b, c at Newtown Health Centre Men's Health Event.

The Men’s Health Forum need your support

It’s tough for men to ask for help but if you don’t ask when you need it, things generally only get worse. So we’re asking.

In the UK, one man in five dies before the age of 65. If we had health policies and services that better reflected the needs of the whole population, it might not be like that. But it is. Policies and services and indeed men have been like this for a long time and they don’t change overnight just because we want them to.

It’s true that the UK’s men don’t have it bad compared to some other groups. We’re not asking you to ‘feel sorry’ for men or put them first. We’re talking here about something more complicated, something that falls outside the traditional charity fund-raising model of ‘doing something for those less fortunate than ourselves’. That model raises money but it seldom changes much. We’re talking about changing the way we look at the world. There is nothing inevitable about premature male death. Services accessible to all, a population better informed. These would benefit everyone - rich and poor, young and old, male and female - and that’s what we’re campaigning for.

We’re not asking you to look at images of pity, we’re just asking you to look around at the society you live in, at the men you know and at the families with sons, fathers and grandads missing.

Here’s our fund-raising page - please chip in if you can.

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