Wigan peer support charity secures lottery funding

ManLeigh Charitable Incorporated Company has secured £9,925 courtesy of the Community Lottery Awards for All scheme.

The first grant that it is has received, the cash recognises the important work that ManLeigh is doing to help men with issues of isolation, breakdown and other aspects affecting their mental health.

No fewer than 600,000 men are believed to be suffering with their wellbeing in the country and the charity has been established to offer peer support through a series of drop-in sessions within Leigh.

The Wigan borough has one of the highest male suicide rates in the UK, demonstrating the nature of the problem and the need for a response and these services to be accessible to all.

While discussing the funding, CEO of ManLeigh Mark Smith said: “Since we began the venture in April of this year in response to what we felt was a great need, the organisation has grown confirming our thinking.

"We now have a strong and growing membership, plus some of the most committed volunteers we could wish for working frontline and behind the scenes but feel we are still only at the start of the process. This award will enable us to continue to grow and develop to meet the obvious needs of the area.”

Current venues where drop-in sessions take place are:

Tesco’s Community Hub from 1pm to 3pm on Saturdays;

Leigh Parish Church from 1pm to 3pm on Wednesdays;

HSP in Charles Street from 12.30pm to 2.30pm on Tuesdays.

And another drop-in venue at Bridgewater Community Hub has been added which opens on a Thursday evening from 7pm to 9pm. Sessions here will be supported by this award.

For further information contact Mark Smith 07548 774501 or Peter Rowlinson 07443 496911

Alternatively, information is available on their facebook page https://m.facebook.com/ManLeigh2022/

Mark said: “It is a great pleasure to receive the positive feedback from our members and to see the wonderful progress many of them are making in improving their mental and physical health.”