10/10/2026
Yesterday’s Real Face of Men’s Health: Wales Report is one of the most important pieces of work we’ve seen in years — and as a Shed, we want to show our full support for what it highlights and calls for.
The report makes it painfully clear that too many men in Wales are dying younger than they should, with 6,793 men dying before 75 in 2024 — more than one in three male deaths. These aren’t just numbers — they’re fathers, sons, brothers, and friends.
Movember’s analysis also shows the cost of men’s ill‑health to Wales: £1.35 billion a year across five major conditions, with £402 million in direct healthcare costs and £948 million in lost productivity and unpaid care.
The report calls for something we strongly believe in: Wales’ first dedicated Men’s Health Plan — a national, joined‑up approach that meets men where they are, responds earlier, and keeps them engaged in support. Community spaces like Men’s Sheds are highlighted as a vital part of that solution, helping men connect long before they’d ever walk into a clinic Movember.
At Pencoed Men’s Shed, we see this every week. Someone might come in to sand a plank, fix a tool, or have a cuppa — but they also find friendship, purpose, and a safe place to talk. This report shows why that matters, and why Wales needs to take men’s health seriously.
We’re thankful that Pencoed Town Council and Bridgend County Borough Council have already identified the issues raised in the report and are supporting our mission. Sarah Murphy for Pen-y-bont Bro Morgannwg has raised this issue in in the Senedd, we’re hopeful that this report will help to identify the need for change at a National Government level.
We stand firmly behind the call for a Men’s Health Plan, and we’re proud to be part of the community‑level work already making a difference.
Men in Wales are dying too young, and where they live can shape how long they live. Movember's 2026 report sets out the case for the country's first Men's Health Plan.