Craig Spillane
Founder
Electrician by day, Craig Spillane set up Men Unite one morning in 2019, sat on the toilet before work. He wanted to give some friends of his an outlet to speak and not be judged. Men Unite is a closed private group on Facebook to help men deal with any issues they face; suicidal thoughts, depression and anxiety, stress, PTSD, addiction issues, debt, bereavement, or any associated issues. They now have over 12,000 members in 78 countries. They have a team of volunteer admin from around the world so there’s a real person available to chat 24 hours a day.
84 men per week die from suicide in the UK, thats one man every two hours. Craig is passionate about lowering that harrowing statistic. The Coronavirus pandemic is having a huge impact on people’s mental health – with triggers ranging from being in lockdown isolation to struggling with money due to job losses. Although there are no figures yet from lockdown, Craig personally knows four men who’ve lost the battle to their own demons during this time. In this talk he’ll describe the impact of lockdown on men’s mental health and how online support networks like Men Unite are providing a vital connection for men around the world.