Mark Brooks OBE
Communications, domestic abuse and equalities advisorMark Brooks OBE is a national communications, domestic abuse and equalities advisor with the latter focussing on the wellbeing of men and boys in the UK.
Mark is the Chair of the ManKind Initiative domestic abuse charity, a co-founder/trustee of the Men and Boys Coalition charity and the National Lead Organiser and an Ambassador for International Men’s Day in the UK. He is a member of the Government’s (DLUHC) expert panel on safe accommodation for domestic abuse victims and the policy advisor for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Issues Affecting Men and Boys.
He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and has been the director/head of communications at two large national charities. He is a qualified domestic abuse services manager and in the past few years he created the national practitioners’ community network for male victims and lead the development of National Service Standards. He is an expert panel member on a range of domestic homicide reviews across England and advises organisations on communication campaigns with respect to male wellbeing and help-seeking.
Mark was awarded an OBE in 2019 for his charity work in supporting male victims of domestic abuse, the only person in the UK to ever do so. He was interviewed for The Times Radio’s national leaders feature by Jon Pienaar.
In his roles he regularly speaks in the media and at conferences alongside advising government departments, think tanks/policymakers, statutory agencies, academia and employers.
Mark is available to:
Speak at conferences, give talks and presentations
Be an expert panelist on domestic homicide reviews featuring male victims
Write articles and public policy reports
Advise on equality and diversity matters affecting men and boys
Be a member of equality and diversity committees/boards
Advise on how to run communication campaigns to support and improve men’s wellbeing and help-seeking
As well as the particular issues below, he has particular expertise and interest on the political structures that create barriers for addressing the wellbeing of men and boys.
The challenges faced by boys and men at all stages of education including attainment
Men’s health (including male cancers), shorter life expectancy and workplace deaths
Male victims and survivors of sexual abuse, rape, sexual exploitation, domestic abuse, forced marriage, honour-based crime, stalking and slavery
The challenges faced by the most marginalised men and boys in society (for instance, homeless men, boys in care and the high rate of male deaths in custody)
The high male suicide rate
Male victims of violence, including sexual violence
The challenges faced by men as parents, particularly new fathers and separated fathers
The negative portrayal of men, boys and fathers.
© 2022 – Mark Brooks OBE