Men's Action Network NI

23/09/2026

Thanks to NICVA for facilitating our governance training for our Board this evening, particularly our new members.

As we all know, good governance isn't about ticking boxes. It's about being accountable, transparent and responsible, making good decisions and ensuring MAN continues to be run properly for the men and communities we support.

A really useful evening and again another step in strengthening MAN for the future.

23/09/2026

Yesterday (22/9/26) our team attended the Shared Responsibility launch at Stormont, as well as the All-Party Group meeting on Domestic & Sexual Violence, engaging in important discussions around safety, support and responsibility across our communities.

We also welcome the input from Mental Health Champion Siobhán O’Neill at Derry City & Strabane District Council meeting yesterday. This was an important discussion on trends in social crisis across the North West.

We welcome the contributions from local councillors, particularly Councillor Gary Donnelly, who highlighted the impact of poverty on mental wellbeing in our local communities.

At MAN, we know that poverty, isolation, trauma, family pressures and poor mental health are often interconnected. Understanding those links— and listening to the experiences of men locally— is essential to developing effective support.

Men’s mental and physical health matters. Men’s voices matter. And local action matters, as does moving the conversations from paper to timetabled delivery.

As always, our door is open for political and local representatives to speak with us regarding our impact and future planning.

19/09/2026

Zero progress has been made on the critical issue of male safe accommodation in the North despite it being raised continually over the past 20 years in the Assembly, Michael Lynch, co-ordinator of Derry-based Men’s Action Network (MAN) has said.

17/09/2026

Who's listening? "The critical need for male safe accommodation has been raised on the floor of the Northern Ireland Assembly [for 20 years] but there has been zero progress"

Zero progress has been made on the critical issue of male safe accommodation in the North despite it being raised continually over the past 20 years in the Assembly.

16/09/2026

"We are asking our local political representatives to show up for us and, more importantly, for the men who need these services... At the moment, we have not heard from them on this issue, and that silence is disappointing"

John McAtamney - Chair - Men’s Action Network (MAN)

I welcome today’s coverage in the Derry News highlighting the urgent need for greater investment in men’s mental health services, and thank John Burns for highlighting the situation. But for Men’s Action Network, this is not a new conversation. MAN has been supporting men in our community since 1994, and for more than three decades we have continued to provide a safe and accessible place for men experiencing mental health difficulties, su***de and suicidal thoughts, isolation, addiction, homelessness and relationship breakdown.

Despite that longstanding commitment, MAN has never received a penny of core statutory funding. We have had to continually rely on short-term, project-based and piecemeal funding to keep services operating. We are expected to be there for men every day of the year, yet the organisation providing that support is repeatedly left having to fight for its own financial survival. That cannot continue.

Men’s mental health does not operate around funding cycles. Men do not only need help when there is an awareness campaign, when another tragedy occurs or when there is a political photo opportunity. Men need somewhere to go. They need somewhere they can walk through the door, talk openly, be listened to and know they will not be judged. That is what MAN has provided since 1994.

We know that men are struggling with su***de, isolation, addiction, homelessness, relationship breakdown and mental health difficulties. We also know that many men will not engage with traditional services until they have reached crisis point. That is why community based men’s services are so important. We need to be reaching men before they reach that point, not waiting until it is too late.

Core funding would give MAN the stability to plan properly for the future, retain experienced staff, develop our services and reach more men. It would allow us to respond to the needs of men in our community rather than constantly having to shape our services around whichever short-term funding opportunity happens to become available.

But today I also want to make a direct and very specific call to our local political representatives. We want to meet with you. We want our MLAs, MPs, councillors and other local political representatives to sit down with Men’s Action Network and have a serious discussion about men’s mental health, the lack of sustainable funding for men’s services and what can be done to change this.

At the moment, we have not heard from them on this issue, and that silence is disappointing. We are not asking politicians simply to issue a statement or share a social media post. We are asking them to come and meet us, listen to what we are experiencing on the ground and discuss how we can work together to secure sustainable support for men’s mental health services.

Come through our doors. Meet the men who use our services. Talk to the staff who support them. See the demand for yourself. Understand what is happening in our community and then help us find a solution.

For more than 30 years, MAN has continued to show up for men in this community. We have done that without core statutory funding. We have continued because we believe men’s lives matter and because we know that there are men who need somewhere to turn. But good will cannot pay salaries, good will cannot provide long-term services and good will cannot replace sustainable government investment.

We cannot keep asking community organisations to deliver essential mental health and su***de prevention services while leaving them to constantly fight for the resources to survive. If government genuinely believes that men’s mental health is a priority, then that commitment needs to be reflected in the way services are funded.

I am therefore again calling on our local political representatives to meet with us as a matter of urgency. Come and talk to us, tell us what you can do, tell us who you will speak to and, most importantly, help us secure the long-term funding that men in our communities deserve.

This is not about party politics. It is about men’s lives. It is about prevention, early intervention and making sure a man has somewhere to go before he reaches crisis.

MAN has been here since 1994. We have never had core funding, but we have never stopped showing up for men. Now we are asking our local political representatives to show up for us and, more importantly, for the men who need these services.

Today’s coverage in the Derry News must not simply become another day’s news. We need action, we need a meeting and we need a serious conversation about how men’s mental health services are funded across Northern Ireland.

Men’s mental health matters. Men’s lives matter. Men’s services must be properly and sustainably funded.

To our local political representatives, our message is simple: the door is open. Come and meet us. Let’s talk about what happens next.

John McAtamney
Chairperson
Men’s Action Network (MAN)
37 Shipquay Street
Derry
[email protected]

Media Enquiries - [email protected]

15/09/2026

O.U.R - Openness. Understanding. Responsibility - A few takes from this mornings session at MAN. "Creating positive change is OUR responsibility"

15/09/2026

MAN meets Department of Justice NI Re: Male Victims & Survivors: "Equality means every victim deserves a safe place to turn, regardless of gender.... We have moved past the point of discussion, we now need action."

Following a positive and forward-looking meeting with the Minister of
Justice, local charity Men's Action Network (MAN) has welcomed the
opportunity to reopen vital dialogue around dedicated support services
for men and male victims of domestic abuse across Northern Ireland.

During the briefing, charity leaders presented a practical, evidence-led
vision to address longstanding service gaps. MAN highlighted that for
nearly two decades- following persistent campaign pressure from the
charity- the critical need for male safe accommodation has been raised
on the floor of the Northern Ireland Assembly, but there has been zero
progress.

The issue has been brought to the Assembly floor across successive
mandates by political figures on 4 occasions in 16 years.

In 2010, Alban Maginness MLA raised direct questions regarding Executive
plans and equality considerations for establishing a male refuge. In
2015, Pat Ramsey MLA highlighted the urgent gap in overnight refuge
provision for male victims in the Foyle area while acknowledging MAN's
local efforts. The ongoing lack of dedicated male refuge provision was
raised again by MLAS and scrutiny committees during the passage of
domestic abuse legislation in 2020. Most recently, in 2024, Mark H
Durkan MLA specifically cited MAN's groundwork toward establishing a
male refuge and raised concern over plans being put on hold.

With Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) data showing that 32% of
recorded domestic abuse crime victims in 2025/26 were male- representing
over 5,800 individuals- the charity emphasised that after 20 years of
political discussion, Northern Ireland now needs decisive action on the
subject.

Michael Lynch, Coordinator at Men's Action Network, said:

"We are greatly encouraged by the spirit of today's meeting and the
Minister's willingness to engage on these critical issues. For over 30
years, our charity has worked on the frontlines of community wellbeing,
mental health, and early intervention. The door is very much open for
continuous collaboration with the Department of Justice, statutory
partners, and our local community.
"However, after almost two decades of this issue sporadically being
debated in the Assembly following pressure from MAN, we have moved past
the point of discussion, we now need action. What we need today is a
clear, actionable timetable for change. By focusing on practical first
steps- such as our fact-finding visit to proven male refuge models
outside NI, as one doesn't exist here, and evaluating existing premises
locally- we can create a safe, cost-effective, and fully evaluated pilot
to begin changing lives for male victims. Investing in early support and
safe accommodation doesn't just save lives; it lightens the burden on
our justice, healthcare, and housing systems."

The charity emphasised that expanding services for male victims is about
true equality of access and complementary care, ensuring that every
individual experiencing crisis has somewhere safe to turn, regardless of
gender.

Men's Action Network looks forward to working closely with, what they
would hope would be designated departmental officials to map out the
next operational milestones and build a safer, more supportive landscape
for victims, families, and communities across Northern Ireland.

Justice Minister Naomi Long said:

"Domestic abuse can affect anyone, regardless of gender or background,
and it is important that victims are able to access appropriate support
when they need it. No victim should be left to navigate this alone. I
recognise the particular challenges that male victims can face,
including barriers to seeking help and the availability of suitable
accommodation.

"The Department of Justice has an important role to play in tackling
domestic abuse and supporting victims through the justice system and I
am pleased that under the cross-Departmental Domestic and Sexual Abuse
Strategy we have been able to strengthen funding for support workers for
male victims of domestic abuse.

"The issues raised by Men's Action Network include healthcare, housing
and refuge accommodation. My Department will continue to work closely
with colleagues across government and with our statutory, voluntary and
community sector partners, to ensure that the needs and experiences of
all victims are understood and reflected in how we respond to domestic
abuse."

Editors:
About Men's Action Network (MAN):

Established over 30 years ago, Men's Action Network (MAN) is a
registered charity dedicated to supporting men's health, mental
wellbeing, and personal development. The charity offers tailored
support, crisis intervention, educational workshops, and community-based
programmes across Northern Ireland working on zero core funding for that period of time. Department of Health NI BBC Radio Ulster Catherine McGinty Communities NI UTV Northern Ireland BBC Radio Foyle Stephen Nolan Londonderry Sentinel

Media Contact:
Don Harkin
Men's Action Network
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 028 7137 7777
Website: www.man-ni.org

15/09/2026

Great to hear MM Woodcrafts Derry Ben Kennedy on BBC Radio Foyle this morning charting his journey through mental wellbeing and creating opportunity from his experiences, and involving our charity: "go forward, confidently forward" - a quote that can resonate with us all.

If you'd like to get involved in Bens workshops through our charity, give us a shout! The talent Ben has is phenomenal. "We are put thorough experiences to reach behind and pull the next person up" - What a quote from Ben! His generosity and understanding shines through yet again!

13/09/2026

Be Sound on Sundays

We're asking if you could reach out to someone today and ask a simple question: “Are you OK?”

You don’t have to make a big thing of it or have all the answers. Just checking in, having a chat, grabbing a coffee or giving someone a bit of your time can make a huge difference to someone getting it tight.

And while you’re checking in on others, don’t forget to ask yourself the same question:

Are you OK?

Remember: We're here for you.

'Sound on Sundays' - COMING SOON!

We’re also looking for acoustic players, musicians and artists to get involved in our new 'Sound on Sundays' sessions, starting in a few weeks.

If you use music, art or sound to communicate, connect and bring people together, we’d love to hear from you! And we're not looking for freebies! Artists need to survive too!

Fancy getting involved? Give us a shout.

[email protected] - Ref: 'Sound on Sundays'