Board of Trustees

After many years of struggling to access mental health services, and following the suicide of my friend and fellow chef, Craig Riley - I felt a group was needed locally to fill a void in support for men in our area. The place needed to be an informal and open forum for men from all walks of life to feel comfortable and open up, and be available throughout the year to ensure that whenever someone is struggling - they know they have a place to go. My hope is that through this initiative, we can change the conversation on men's mental health and help prevent another unnecessary lost life.

As a mother the one thing you want to do is help your children whenever they face any sort of crisis. I have spent the past 25 years facing a mental health system that has failed first my youngest son and latterly my eldest.

There comes a point where you have to take action and the idea of ManClub came following the death by suicide of one of their close friends…I never want to face the heartbreak that Craig’s family and friends now live with.

So after a casual chat with Joe we decided that we are more than capable of setting up and running a peer led support group - and ManClub was born.

 I believe that ManClub fills an important gap in providing a safe space for men to connect, share and support each other in an environment free from judgment. I was keen to offer my support as I’ve seen at first hand through friends and family members how societal pressures can make it very hard for men to talk and open up. No one should struggle in silence.

I’m a Chartered Accountant and Treasurer of another local Charity. My role is largely behind the scenes helping Joe and the other Trustees with financial planning and governance. I’m keen to support ManClub in fundraising and building awareness of the work of the Charity.

I'm all too aware of the impact that mental health issues can have on men's lives and how it affects their families,friends and personal relationships.

I'm proud to be a trustee of the Manclub and sincerely hope that the organisation can play a part ,big or small in helping people overcome their personal issues .

I hope by forming Manclub it shows people that there is always someone there ready to listen.

I'm acutely aware of the pressures men of all ages have in today's world and, in particular, how it affects the younger generation.

We are here to help, discuss and talk issues through as a group with no expectations of anyone other than to be here.

If ManClub only helps one person then we will have succeeded in our aims.