Latest news with #Skaith
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mayor shares mental health struggles to help men
A mayor has backed plans for a men's mental health "taskforce" after speaking about his struggles following the death of his father. Mayor of York and North Yorkshire David Skaith said he shut himself off after losing his father Bob in 2021, but said speaking about his feelings, sports and socialising helped him come to terms with his loss. Mr Skaith was speaking at a council meeting discussing plans to improve men's mental health in the region. He said: "Men will go running and go to the gym but how much are we actually doing to look after our head space too?" The mayor, authority officials, NHS and charity representatives, and public health specialists discussed the plans, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Mr Skaith said: "After losing my dad during the coronavirus pandemic I completely shut myself off and I stopped spending time with my family and friends. "I wasn't doing anything to care for myself, it wasn't until I went back to sport and being back in that environment with other people started to help." The mayor said he hoped York and North Yorkshire could lead the way in shifting the dial on men's mental health. The meeting heard suicide was the biggest killer of men aged 50 and under, and that an estimated four in five men would experience some form of mental health issue during their lives. They discussed how mental health issues could be tackled locally, particularly given the amount of men working in traditionally male-dominated professions such as farming and the military. Officials suggested using sport, fitness and pitching mental health self-care to encourage men to become more conscious of the issue. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Barbers train to talk to men about mental health Improving transport at coast is key - new mayor Local Democracy Reporting Service
BBC News
03-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
York and North Yorkshire mayor opens up about mental health
A mayor has backed plans for a men's mental health "taskforce" after speaking about his struggles following the death of his of York and North Yorkshire David Skaith said he shut himself off after losing his father Bob in 2021, but said speaking about his feelings, sports and socialising helped him come to terms with his Skaith was speaking at a council meeting discussing plans to improve men's mental health in the said: "Men will go running and go to the gym but how much are we actually doing to look after our head space too?" The mayor, authority officials, NHS and charity representatives, and public health specialists discussed the plans, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Skaith said: "After losing my dad during the coronavirus pandemic I completely shut myself off and I stopped spending time with my family and friends."I wasn't doing anything to care for myself, it wasn't until I went back to sport and being back in that environment with other people started to help."The mayor said he hoped York and North Yorkshire could lead the way in shifting the dial on men's mental meeting heard suicide was the biggest killer of men aged 50 and under, and that an estimated four in five men would experience some form of mental health issue during their discussed how mental health issues could be tackled locally, particularly given the amount of men working in traditionally male-dominated professions such as farming and the suggested using sport, fitness and pitching mental health self-care to encourage men to become more conscious of the issue. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
30-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
York and North Yorkshire mayor's 'huge learning curve'
The first ever directly-elected mayor for York and North Yorkshire has said his first year in office had taken him on a "huge learning curve".Former York business owner David Skaith won the election for Labour by about 15,000 votes on 2 May last of the first anniversary of his election, Skaith said: "I'm incredibly privileged every day to be able to do this role.""It's a huge undertaking, a huge task," he explained, adding that the biggest lesson he had so far learned in the role was "having patience". "We're having to learn with government, as well, about how we deliver transport, housing and skills away from a core city, which is what we are," Skaith said."It's the first combined authority that's really been borne out of a rural area - it's never been done before." Skaith said his proudest achievement since taking office was setting up a fund for high streets."As a small business owner myself, I've seen how challenging it's been on the high street," he said."But high streets are more than just businesses, they're places of community and places where people come together."Creating places where people can go and spend time and enjoy is something I was really passionate about - and how you do that in a hard-to-reach area."Ahead of local elections this week, Skaith said he looked forward to working with other new mayors elsewhere in England, including the new representative for Hull and East Yorkshire."When investment comes into Yorkshire, but into the wider North, it helps us all, so having more mayors, more powers, more funding coming in, is only a good thing." With voters in Scarborough and Harrogate preparing to elect their first ever town councils on 1 May, Skaith said parish and town councils were also "incredibly important" to "build that bigger picture".Such authorities helped with "getting down into the weeds of everyday understanding of what these communities need", he said."It's not always a huge multibillion-pound investment. It can literally be making our communities feel safer, look safer, be safer."Skaith said his next priorities included "ramping up investment" and "seeing more money going out of the door", focusing on a sports council and a men's mental health taskforce."All in all, there's going to be a lot happening over the next 12 months," he concluded. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
08-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
North Yorkshire fire service must 'adapt and invest'
A county's fire and rescue service will be expected to adapt to deal with a wider range of emergencies in coming years, according to its new action plan. The North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Plan, which sets out the service's priorities to 2029, was launched on Monday. The aims of the plan, compiled by York and North Yorkshire's Combined Authority, include tackling the causes of fires, improving safety in buildings, preparing communities for emergencies and investing in new equipment and staff. Mayor of York and North Yorkshire David Skaith said: "The service needs to adapt and invest in estates, equipment and staff. Investing to make it more efficient will have a positive knock-on effect." Skaith said this year's hike in the fire and rescue precept - equivalent to a 28% increase, or £24, compared to 2024-5 - was necessary after years of under-investment. 'Visitor influx' The new plan recognised the challenges posed by climate change, which meant "the calls the service is dealing with are changing", Skaith told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "Over the last 10 to 15 years, we've seen firefighters responding to much more flooding."The influx of visitors North Yorkshire gets every year - particularly in coastal areas - also adds pressure."Meanwhile, Jo Coles, deputy mayor for policing, fire and crime, said the plan also aimed to cut road deaths as firefighters were increasingly responding to traffic safety was "a big issue" for the service, Coles said."Thirty two people died on the roads last year and we've had 11 deaths this year - and we're only in April."Every death is a tragedy and we want to work to raise awareness of road hazards to meet the aim of having zero people killed or seriously injured," she added. Chief fire officer Jonathan Dyson said North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service was investing in new fire appliances and training for staff to make it fit for the said he welcomed the fact that more than 1,600 people had taken part in formulating the plan via a public consultation. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mayor meets bus operators to discuss better service
A mayor has said public transport services in North Yorkshire "aren't good enough" as he met with local bus operators to discuss improvements. York and North Yorkshire Mayor David Skaith has officially assumed control of buses in North Yorkshire, with the Combined Authority last month approving plans aimed at integrating the region's transport system. Skaith said he was also trying to extend the £1 fare cap for under-19s across North Yorkshire, and invest in rural services. "We're getting operators around the table to discuss the best route forward for buses - services aren't good enough," said Skaith, ahead of the meeting. He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): "The challenge comes down to making it work in different areas that have different problems." "Places like York and Harrogate need more consistent services, whereas harder-to-reach rural areas need buses that are more frequent and reliable," Skaith said. Skaith also met with sixth form students at Scarborough University Technical College (UTC) on Tuesday, alongside Scarborough and Whitby's MP, Alison Hume. Students shared their concerns about public transport, with many complaining that buses were often late and that a lack of regular services discouraged them from staying in the area. Many of the students also said fewer services in the evenings left them reliant on more expensive trains, or taxis, asking lifts from family, or having to walk home alone from part-time jobs. Skaith said having better services late at night and early in the morning was "a really big part and focus of what we've been looking at". He said he also wanted to work with other mayors, such as Ben Houchen in Tees Valley, to "buy into each other's transport systems". He added: "Our people and businesses don't care about borders, they want to be able to get to work, or to get hospital appointments up into James Cook. "So we need to, as mayors and combined authorities, stop thinking about those borders and to work across borders." Hume said she was "very excited that the mayor will be taking over running of the buses going forward", adding it was "very important to hear the views of young people". Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Students call for better transport options 'We'd rather improve buses than dual an A road' York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority
