When stories are told honestly, they give others the courage to speak.

Watch the interview.

You can donate to Connors fundraiser here: https://www.peoplesfundraising.com/fundraising/balmoral-5k-charity-run-

💬 Why are you taking on this challenge?

“I have been a male victim of domestic abuse & been in a toxic relationship for 2 years while myself as a victim & also my son being exposed to domestic violence witnessed weapons, knifes being used to attack his father from his own mother. If I didn’t have my son to keep me motivated I don’t believe I would be here today. Thinking there is only one escape is a scary place to be in alone. I can’t say it enough please speak up.”

💬 What impact do you hope to achieve?

“I want to raise awareness of domestic abuse & show the relief in speaking up & managing to get out of situation. The moment I got out the situation & the police charged her with domestic abuse & knife modifier…became a relief”

💬 What message do you want to share with potential donors?

“I would like to thank everyone who can donate to a cause which can save someone’s life with support while being a victim in domestic abuse feeling like there is no escape & no help! Till we speak up & get the support is the biggest relief off our shoulders. Anyone going through any domestic abuse please speak up. I will be very open & happily speak with anyone if it can be any benefit to them to help.”

🙏 Please donate, share, and help Connor support us in our mission to give men experiencing or recovering from domestic abuse the help and hope they deserve 💙

If you would like to take part in a fundraiser for AMIS please get in touch, we are happy to help anyone who wants to take on a challenge! You can also sign up to run the Balmoral race 2025 here: RUN BALMORAL 2025 | Sat 26 Apr | Book @ Findarace

If you identify as a man and are experiencing or recovering from domestic abuse please don’t hesitate to reach out to us for support. We also take calls from family, friends and working professionals to support them in supporting men and their children.

You can donate to Connors fundraiser here: https://www.peoplesfundraising.com/fundraising/balmoral-5k-charity-run-

In the campaign, Brodie and Fergus shed light on the unique challenges that men encounter regarding their mental health. They addressed the high rates of male suicide, the impact of societal views on masculinity, the risk of homelessness, the lack of tailored support services, and the insufficient understanding from the criminal justice system and professionals.

Concluding their presentation, they emphasized the positive changes in supporting men dealing with abuse and mental health issues. They highlighted the increase in mental health media campaigns focusing on men’s support, as well as the growing number of men’s support groups in Scotland and worldwide, with communities showing strong support for these initiatives. Additionally, they noted that organizations like AMIS are increasingly invited to speak at schools, aiming to raise awareness and provide support for the mental health of younger generations.

The talk was live streamed to the Church of Scotland Network on YouTube, you can listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmjoVVSfpsg

Callander is a small rural community located within the Stirlingshire council area. It serves as a gateway to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. A local community group has initiated a campaign to raise awareness and funds to support positive mental health and wellness in local area and schools. Mental health and wellbeing services are mainly concentrated in urban areas, and services in rural areas, such as Callander, are very limited. There is a need for more funding and service support in smaller rural communities, especially in rural schools for younger generations. This is part of the wider national #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek in Scotland.

There were several events taking place within the community throughout the week, such as free exercise classes and local pub quizzes! All funds raised during the week went to the Canmore Trust and initiatives that promote positive mental health support in the local schools (McLaren High School and Callander Primary School) and the Community Centre (McLaren Leisure Centre).

The influence and impact of these small rural communities are significant. As a result of our discussion, our AMIS leaflets were distributed extensively. Currently, the leaflets can be found across Callander in local schools, pub toilets, pharmacies, and barber shops. With the generous help of locals in the community our leaflets have also been distributed to community notice boards in the surrounding areas of Strathyre, Balquidder, Killin, and Tyndrum.

This was an excellent event for our team to attend. We look forward to further collaboration with rural communities across Scotland in the future.

The Kiltwalk is back for 2023 and this year its only £20 to register for the Mighty Stride and Big Stroll instead of £31.69! The cost of the wee wander is just £12.50 for adults and £6.50 for children.

All fundraising will now go directly to AMIS PLUS all eligible gift aid. So that’s potentially up to 125%* in fundraising raised for our supporters this year. Previously, Kiltwalk retained Gift Aid (same as Children In Need and Comic Relief) to deliver their events. this year, instead of a top up, The Hunter Foundation will underwrite Kiltwalk’s costs, ensuring up to 125% of what our supporters raise come to us. 

The dates for this years Kiltwalk events are              Glasgow April 30              Aberdeen June 4        Dundee August 20                 Edinburgh September 17         so get your diaries out and get booking in, in order to get your team or a group involved you contact Kiltwalk directly at the following link which will be open from mid to late January : https://www.thekiltwalk.co.uk/events/corporate-teams or if you wish to do it as an individual or collectively as individuals the link is  https://www.thekiltwalk.co.uk/contact/.                               

Let us know if you’re planning to enter a team and we can set you up with T shirts and a variety refreshment pack for the day, the four  events allow participation across the different localities so do let us know if your planning to do one or more of the walks.

                             Former Amis Chair (now Treasurer) and Secretary pass the finishing line on a previous Kiltwalk

Watch the Webinar

Speakers

Dr Elizabeth Bates CPsychol, SFHEA, CSci, AFBPsS

Elizabeth is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Cumbria who specialises in research working with male victims of domestic violence and abuse. Since completing her PhD in 2012, she has published several papers on the topic. She is also a trustee with the ManKind Initiative.

Iris Quar LLB, Dip L, NP

Iris is the Services Manager at AMIS. She joined us in 2017 and has since lead to our development and continual support to hundreds of men across Scotland. Prior to AMIS, Iris worked as a family law solicitor with a specialism in domestic abuse.

Charlie Bird OBE

Charlie is a former member of HM Diplomatic Service with postings in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. He is also a former course tutor in Terrorism Studies at St Andrews University and a trustee of AMIS. He will be discussing ‘a personal perspective of an abusive relationship’.

Date: 19 November 2020

Time: 17:30 to 18:30 GMT

Cost: Free

Register: Register on Zoom for free

What will be covered?

The webinar will have two speakers discussing a variety of topics and research around domestic abuse and men as the victims/survivors. The speakers are:

Dr Elizabeth Bates CPsychol, SFHEA, CSci, AFBPsS

Elizabeth is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Cumbria who specialises in research working with male victims of domestic violence and abuse. Since completing her PhD in 2012, she has published several papers on the topic. She is also a trustee with the ManKind Initiative.

Iris Quar LLB, Dip L, NP

Iris is the Services Manager at AMIS. She joined us in 2017 and has since lead to our development and continual support to hundreds of men across Scotland. Prior to AMIS, Iris worked as a family law solicitor with a specialism in domestic abuse.

Charlie Bird OBE

Charlie is a former member of HM Diplomatic Service with postings in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. He is also a former course tutor in Terrorism Studies at St Andrews University and a trustee of AMIS. He will be discussing ‘a personal perspective of an abusive relationship’.

Who should attend?

The webinar is free and open to everyone. Anyone with an interest in domestic abuse, mental health or relationships is suited to this event. Audience cameras and microphones will be disabled but the chat feature will be enabled.

How do I take part?

You can register for the webinar for free on Zoom.

The event is free to attend and is open to the general public.

The Event

Can men really be victims of domestic/partner/dating abuse? How prevalent is this? What evidence is there? What are their experiences of abuse? Who are the perpetrators? Did the men do something to deserve it? How does domestic abuse affect men, their children and other family members? What barriers do they face in getting the support they need? What provision is available for male victims in Scotland? Do services for male victims compete with those for female victims?

Would adequate and appropriate front-line services for all who need them help reduce costs to society in terms of mental and physical ill-health, self-harm, substance abuse, suicide, etc., that arise from relationship dysfunction that can spread through generations? How can Scotland become safer for everybody?

Speakers

Dr Elizabeth Bates CPsychol CSci AFBPsS SFHEA is a senior lecturer in Psychology at the University of Cumbria and a leading researcher in male domestic abuse. Dr Bates will present recent research including a survey of AMIS clients.

Iris Quar LL.B Dip.L NP, AMIS Services Manager, will present AMIS’ findings and describe our work to address the needs of abused men in Scotland.

There will be an opportunity for discussion.

Event Details

25 March 2020 – 17:30 – 19:30 GMT

‘The Restaurant’
525 Ferry Road
Edinburgh
EH5 2FF

To book tickets, visit our Eventbrite booking page.