Craig Hannah's Story

In February 2020 my wonderful Mum passed away after many years of ill health and I thought I was coping fine with it all, I really did.

After a while my mood and temperament were changing and I couldn't understand why I was getting so wound up and frustrated at everything.

My Wife said she thought it was all related to the loss of my Mum and that she thought I needed to talk to someone. It took a bit of thought and a rational mind to process this properly, as when "you" think your okay, it's hard to take onboard being told, basically "you need help".

It was then in 2021 I reached out and joined Strongmen and thankfully I did as it opened up so much support and it led me to my first Weekender at Snowdon in 2022.

The Weekender was liberating. You just turn up, are made to feel extremely welcome by all the staff and are put at ease that you can say as much as you want about your grief or say absolutely nothing at all. There is no pressure whatsoever and it's all about you.

Just being outdoors in beautiful surroundings with other bereaved men who were going through similar struggles to my own was enough for the weight to be lifted and allowed me to breathe again.

After that, I found someone there I was comfortable to talk to and found it such a relief after opening up to them and sharing my troubles.

It's an extremely powerful event and everyone always takes so much away from the memorable times they had at a Weekender. It gives them another support network which helps them to stay positive and resilient through their grief.

In March 2023 I attended another Weekender in Brecon Beacons. This one was wild camping and covered in snow as we tried to walk up to Pen-Y-Fan! It was great to catch up with some of the guys I already new, but also good to meet some new ones.

Later in 2023 I became a Man2Man volunteer to help support other bereaved men through their own grief. It's a fantastic service and work's really well due to the person being supported knowing you've been through similar experiences and that you won't judge them for whatever they're feeling.
July 2024, sees me on the Strongmen 5 year anniversary Weekender in the Peak District, which I am very much looking forward to!

It's a privilege for me to be a part of this incredible charity and I'm grateful to everyone that's involved with it.

"Strongmen is a Brotherhood where troubled men find peace, it's a safe place to bring frustrations for them to finally now cease. We give support to bereaved men so they feel that they can cope, it's where defeated men once stood but now they're full of hope"