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The pub? The Masons? The snooker hall? Even the States of Alderney until a couple of years ago. They might all be some of the things that would spring to mind if you said the words 'Man Club' but there is a new group in Alderney with a new meaning for the island's men.
Last week Mind Guernsey’s Phil Surry travelled to the island to lay the foundations for a brother initiative to work alongside the flourishing monthly mens’ meetings he coordinates once a month at the charity’s Lions Centre in St Peter Port.
Man Club is simply a space for men to talk openly and confidentially, without interruption or judgement, and where they can understand that they are not alone in whatever they are experiencing.
Medics agree that mental health provision, especially alternatives to drug based treatments, is unequal to that on larger or better connected islands. A tiny population like Alderney's means it's not viable to have specialised psychiatric help on permanent standby.
The independent Wilson Report, released two years ago on the state of Alderney's healthcare, revealed that prescriptions for anti-depressant medication were 10 times higher on the island than in Guernsey and the rest of the UK.
Mind Guernsey, together with GPs and community groups, worked to find a solution that would involve their expertise and training, introduce peer support, advocacy and sign posting. Last year they were given a £50,640 grant by the Lloyds Bank Foundation for the Channel Islands for the project. Carey Group generously offered their former town centre premises as a base. At the moment volunteers are painting and renovating the building in anticipation of opening by the end of the month. Man Club will then join a raft of services that will reflect those already provided in Guernsey.
Mr Surry travelled to Alderney last Thursday to gain a flavour of the island and to find out how Man Club could be adapted to the smaller island’s needs.
"I came back with a lot of notes and over the weekend I will process those ideas and consider how we can set this up," he said. "But I’m hoping Man Club will make a difference there."
Mind Guernsey’s Executive Director Emily Litten, PR Director and choir creator Jill Chadwick and employee wellbeing services manager Jo Cottell have been visiting the island regularly over the past year or so and services are starting to be established. A Walk and Talk group meets every two weeks, which involves a scenic walk, gentle chat and a café visit, while a book club and a singing group are two projects in the pipeline. More than a dozen islanders have been trained up by Mind as mental health first aiders a further 16 will be trained at the end of April. Their aim is for one in 10 residents on Alderney to be mental health first aiders.
"It’s not about teaching people to be counsellors or medics," said Ms Cottell, "but about giving them information on how to spot signs of poor mental health, having conversations with that person and being able to help them by pointing them towards support."
For more information visit guernseymind.org.gg
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