Ahead of International Men's Day, which takes place tomorrow (November 19), train operator Northern has said it is committed to making men feel 'welcome' and giving them 'a sense of belonging.'

Eighty per cent of the company's workforce are male, according to Northern's press office.

Northern has formed a partnership with Andy's Man Club, a men's suicide prevention charity, and 'actively promotes their services,' as well as the 'wider message about men’s mental health,' on Northern trains and at Northern-managed stations.

Lisa Leighton, people director at Northern, said: "We recognise that the challenge in front of us is huge and we want to do more than pay lip service to making things better."

Referring to the company's EDI strategy, which was published in 2023, Ms Leighton added: "Our EDI strategy is all about what we think we can do in the next three years, before reflecting on our progress and deciding what our next equality, diversity, and inclusion focus should be."

Northern has also launched a buddy scheme to promote peer-to-peer support for fathers, and will be introducing neonatal, fertility, and pregnancy-loss leave, with pay, for male colleagues.

For more information about International Men’s Day, please visit: internationalmensday.com.