The story

The Proper Blokes Club started in September 2020 with a single walk in Southwark. Scott was going through a difficult period and, by his own admission, was part of a culture where men do not really talk about how they are feeling. After getting support through the NHS, he realised that talking to someone he did not know had genuinely helped. But he needed something to manage how he was feeling long term. Walking turned out to be the answer: a low-barrier, entry-level exercise he could do for ten minutes or all day, and it made him feel good either way.

He decided to combine the two, creating a space where men could walk and talk. The first walk did not go quite as planned. Scott expected hundreds. Nobody came, apart from one man who turned up 15 minutes late. But they walked together and talked, and from that moment the motto was set: if two turn up, the walk happens. You only need one other person to have a conversation with.

It was never meant to grow into what it has become. Scott now works on The Proper Blokes Club full time, and it is registered as a Community Interest Company. There are walks in 12 London boroughs, with a couple just outside London too, and the mission is to reach every borough so that when a man gets in touch, Scott can always say yes, there is a group near you. That matters, because by the time someone picks up the phone or drops a message, they are reaching out because they need it at that moment.

How it works

The format is deliberately informal. Groups meet at a start point, linger for five minutes of chat, and then the walk leader says “right, let’s go.” Walking is the only prerequisite. Talking is the point, but nobody is pushed. Some men open up on day one and do not stop for an hour. Others take months before they share the reasons they came. Walking side by side, avoiding eye contact, brings barriers down and helps people open up when they are ready.

The Proper Blokes Club is not a medical service and does not replace professional support. Scott is clear about that. But with long waiting lists for professional services, the group offers something immediate. No advice is given. The space is for listening, for normalising what someone is going through, and for signposting to professional services when needed. As Scott puts it, feelings like depression, anxiety, anger, stress and happiness are universal. How you got there is your own unique journey, but the feelings themselves are shared.

Who comes along

The typical age range is 45 to 65, predominantly white British, but with a mix of backgrounds, cultures, religions, and ages. Scott sees this as one of the project’s strengths: once you strip everything else away, you are just a group of people who have probably been through a lot of the same stuff. Kids driving you mad, problems with a partner, work, money. It does not matter where you are from. The walks have created lifelong bonds. People go on holiday together, attend each other’s weddings, meet for coffees during the week, go to sports events and gigs. The walk is one part of it. The friendships that grow from committing to it are something else entirely.

Starting a walk

If someone wants to set up a new walk in a borough that does not have one yet, the process is straightforward. The main requirement is having one hour a week available at a regular time, because people will come to rely on that walk being there. Scott will visit to recce the route, do a risk assessment, and run a marketing campaign to launch it. He joins the first walk and then supports from a distance. He recommends new walk leaders attend three or four established walks first, just to see how it runs when 30 people turn up.

Because these are unfunded volunteer-led walks, there is no red tape. Someone can come to Scott and be up and running quickly. Funded projects, as anyone in the sector knows, take longer.

The magic number

Michael shares a quote he has heard: three is the magic number for a walking conversation. Two works, but three is ideal because if one person does not feel like talking, the other two can carry the conversation without it becoming awkward silence between strangers. When groups grow to 15 or 20, you will still only talk to two or three people in that session anyway, which keeps things fresh week to week.

Regulars, newcomers, and the seasonal challenge

Every group has a core of regulars who keep it going. Some people come once and move on. Others play the long game and reap the benefits. Summer brings a pickup in new members as the weather improves and the days get longer, removing two of the excuses men tend to use: too cold, too dark. But winter, ironically, is when people need it most. Scott has found that men who join in summer and discover how beneficial it is simply put a coat on when the colder months arrive. Breaking down that barrier is part of the work.

Work-life balance and the movement

Scott admits he is working from about 9am to 9 or 10pm most days, which is not sustainable but hard to pull back from while the project is growing. He has strong walk leaders across London, local men who came through the project themselves, and he is learning to step back. He went on holiday, came back after a week, and nothing had burned down.

Michael offers a quote from his boss at London National Park City: “A movement is not a movement until it moves on its own.” Scott’s response: “I’m going to nick that one.”