Blog: International Men’s Day with Chris Eley

This International Men's Day, Chris Eley - Education Lead at Hertfordshire Zoo and Chair of the BIAZA DEAI Working Group, marks the occasion:

The ability to open up gave me the opportunity to pivot my career and follow a boyhood dream.

International Men’s Day (IMD) is a global day of observance held every year around the world. It invites everyone regardless of gender identity in the world to come together, to support and celebrate men and boys in all their diversity. International Men’s Day is also extremely important for shining a light on men’s well-being. Let’s be frank, the statistics speak for themselves:

•         73% of people who go missing are male.
•         76% of suicides are by men.
•         22% of men have experienced mental health issues in the last year.

I spent a lot of my career working as an Assistant Headteacher and Director of Sixth Form in a secondary school. I would get countless male students struggling with this key stage in their life. Unable to deal with decisions on their futures and appearing rudderless. However, what was more evident was their inability to open up about the challenges they were facing in making these decisions. My advice was always pursue what you are truly passionate about!

However, I never thought that at some point I would be the one lacking direction. As I hurtled to my late 30’s, 40 on the horizon and with lockdown exacerbating things, I found myself questioning what I wanted to do with my life. You begin to look back a lot at what you haven’t done rather than forward to what you can still achieve. The itch that needed scratching was to follow a boyhood dream and work with wildlife.

Concerns of starting from the bottom again, fears of whether it would be the right choice were all put to one side after speaking out. Switching up careers and vocalising my fears and insecurities was challenging but I found myself surrounded by mates who would listen and a wife who showed unerring support for this change. You truly cannot underestimate allyship in all its forms!

So where does this find me now?

These conversations empowered me to go out and change the direction of my career and life for the better. I get the opportunity to work at Paradise Wildlife Park surrounded by a supportive team who day to day allow me to realise my dream. Opening up and having those conversations facilitated my career change and gave me the direction I needed at the time I needed it the most.

It is vital we promote the importance of IMD in making a positive difference to the wellbeing and lives of men and boys as well as promoting a positive conversation about men, manhood and masculinity. Fostering a culture in collections to allow for this type of discussion is paramount in supporting the men we work with.

By Chris Eley,
Education Lead at Hertfordshire Zoo,
BIAZA DEAI Working Group Chair

All blogs reflect the views of their author and are not a reflection of BIAZA's positions.