Safe Space for Men Opens in Castletown Tonight

Ed’s Man Club is expanding again, and this time it’s heading south, with Castletown set to welcome the island’s latest safe space for men to talk openly about their mental health.

The peer-to-peer support group, run by mental health charity Ed Space, will launch at the Civic Centre in Castletown tonight (Thursday, January 8), adding to existing clubs in Douglas and Ramsey, with Peel next on the list.

Speaking about the new opening, Dan, one of the founders of Ed’s Man Club, said: ‘Some exciting news for the south of the island, Ed’s Man Club is coming down to Castletown.’

For those unfamiliar with the concept, Ed’s Man Club offers a free, judgement-free space where men can talk honestly about what they’re going through, whether that’s anxiety, addiction, family pressures or anything else weighing on their minds.

Dan explained: ‘We’re a mental health support group who work on a peer-to-peer basis. We ask five questions. The first three are designed to get you to open up, then we stop for tea and coffee and biscuits. After that, we’ve got two more questions, which are designed to put your head into a much better place.’

The charity was founded by Dan and his cousin Shirley. They hope the club can provide an outlet that could genuinely save lives.

Since launching a year ago, the impact has already been significant. ‘Last year alone, we’ve had over 1,000 guys come through the door getting help for issues that they’re going through,’ Dan said.

‘They can be any problems whatsoever… literally anything you can think of, we’ve seen, and we’re here to help you out.’

The Castletown sessions will open at 6.30pm, with the discussion starting bang on 7pm and running until around 9pm.

As Dan put it simply: ‘Hopefully I see you there.’