Dormant Assets Funding to Strengthen Ed Space Peer Support Services
Ed Space has received a £50,000 grant from the Dormant Assets Fund to strengthen and expand its mental health peer-support services across the Isle of Man.
The 12-month capacity-building project will enable the charity to create two full-time positions: a Head Coordinator and an Operations and Support Officer.
Working alongside Ed Space’s volunteer team, the new staff members will coordinate the charity’s eight weekly peer-support groups in Douglas, Ramsey, Castletown and Peel. They will also oversee administration and compliance, support volunteers, respond to referrals, develop partnerships and help strengthen the charity’s long-term fundraising.
Established following the loss of Eddie Joyce, Ed Space has grown from a personal story into an Island-wide charity providing safe, welcoming and non-clinical spaces where adults can talk openly, reduce isolation and receive support through shared experience.
Its weekly groups currently record approximately 150 attendances each month and are supported by around 70 active volunteers, demonstrating the continued need for accessible, community-based mental health support.
The additional capacity will also allow Ed Space to expand its outreach and partnership work. This includes supporting initiatives such as the Blue Light Breakfast Club, collaborating with other charities, GPs and healthcare professionals, and continuing outreach visits to Manannan Court to speak with patients about the support available.
Shirley Cain from Ed Space said: “Ed Space has grown considerably, and our volunteers have been central to everything we have achieved. As demand for our support continues, it is vital that we put the right structure in place to support them and ensure our services remain safe, consistent and sustainable.
“These new roles will allow us to strengthen our existing weekly groups while developing our outreach, partnerships and volunteer support. Most importantly, they will help us continue providing welcoming spaces where people can talk openly and know they are not alone.”
David Christian, Chairman of Manx Lottery Trust, said: “Ed Space provides an important source of connection and peer support for people across the Island. Its growth demonstrates both the value of its work and the continuing demand for accessible mental health support within our community. This project will give the charity the dedicated capacity it needs to support its volunteers, strengthen its services and build a more sustainable organisation.”
The Dormant Assets Fund, administered by Manx Lottery Trust on behalf of the Isle of Man Government Treasury, provides grants of up to £75,000 to community and not-for-profit organisations. It supports organisations to prepare for future challenges by strengthening their financial resilience, skills and capacity, enabling them to deliver lasting impact within the community.