3rd September 2026
Bracken
For many men – myself included – the older you get, the harder it becomes to maintain friendship and connection with other men. Work, relationships and family can easily become all-consuming, and connection with other men becomes limited to those you work with or those who are part of your family’s social circle.
Even if you are lucky enough to maintain a friend group that you see on a semi-regular basis, the relationship often remains intentionally shallow. Limited to talking about the latest/ intended purchases (new axes or cooking gadgets in my case) or just grumbling about work, the conversation rarely strays into something more meaningful.
While there is no doubt that there is value in being able to relax and have fun with some friends, I also believe that there is real benefit in being part of a community that is much more intentional and focused. Somewhere, deeper and more challenging conversations can be had and support offered.
Just about every person has had a point in their lives where they have hit a wall, pit or plateau. A dark period, likely brought on by an addiction, relationship, health scare, loss or some big change. It is in these times, as well as the smaller challenges and struggles of life, that I see real value in having the support of other men.
For me, men’s groups have been a key part of my life’s journey. They offer a space where I can discuss my struggles with people who understand and have walked similar paths. They reduce the pressure on those closest to me, as well as provide independent perspectives and advice on my challenges.
In addition to this empathy and support, men’s communities also offer opportunities for challenge and accountability. Having other men around us who are willing to question our choices, challenge our excuses and encourage us when we know we are capable of more. A good community shouldn’t simply agree with us or tell us what we want to hear, but should expect something from us as well. Not only working to become better men ourselves, but also considering the responsibility we have to the people around us and how we can contribute to building a better community.
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17
A men’s community in this way is different from many of the other relationships in our lives. There is something intrinsically valuable about being shoulder to shoulder with other men, working to become better and happier partners, fathers and colleagues.
The benefits of this don’t stop with the men themselves. A man who is supported when he is struggling, challenged when he is falling short and encouraged to take greater responsibility for his life is likely to have a positive impact on the people around him. His partner, children, friends and colleagues all experience some of the effects of that growth.
This is one of the reasons I believe investing in men is also an investment in the wider community. Better connected men are in a stronger position to support other people, take responsibility and contribute to the families and communities they are part of. The effect can ripple out far beyond the original group of men sitting together around a fire.
The difficulty is that these communities don’t necessarily build themselves. As we get older, many of the places where friendships once developed naturally disappear. We no longer spend every day surrounded by the same people at school or university, and the demands of work and family make it increasingly easy to become isolated from other men.
At a time when loneliness and social isolation are increasingly being recognised as problems for men, I don’t think it is enough to simply tell men that they need to make more friends or talk to someone. We also need to create the places and opportunities where those relationships can actually develop. That requires some intention, both from the people creating those spaces and from the men choosing to turn up.
This is a big part of why we have built Ember Path. We want to create opportunities for men to come together, build genuine relationships and be part of a community that offers both support and challenge. Sometimes that might happen through our programmes or events, but it can also start with something much simpler: regularly getting a group of men together around a fire.
Our monthly Campfire Gathering is intended to provide exactly that opportunity. On the second Thursday of every month, we get together around the fire, share a campfire-cooked meal, and spend a couple of hours in the company of other men. It isn’t a therapy group, and there is no expectation that anyone needs to arrive with a problem to discuss. It is simply a regular place to meet other men and allow those relationships to develop over time.
If you are reading this and feel that you could do with a stronger community around you, or simply want to build better connections with other men, come and join us at one of the Campfire Gatherings. Building community takes time, but the first step can be as simple as turning up.
Find out more about the campfire gatherings HERE
About Ember Path
Ember Path creates outdoor experiences that challenge and support men to build growth, connection and contribution. Through bushcraft, shared experience and practical challenge, we aim to help men develop capability, belonging and responsibility.