It’s aimed at helping men who are victims of domestic abuse, struggling through poor mental health or – in the words of its founder – “just not flourishing”.

MAST (Men Actively Standing Together) was launched in Christchurch two years ago.

There are now three groups holding monthly meetings – two in Christchurch and one in Boscombe – with a fourth planned for Poole, either later this year or in January 2024.

They are funded by Green Door Families, a registered charity.

Latest statistics from the ManKind Initiative, the specialist charity in the UK focusing on male victims of domestic abuse, show the extent of abuse.

• One in three victims of domestic abuse every year are male equating to 757,000 men.
• One in seven men will be a victim of domestic abuse in their lifetime.
• Of domestic abuse crimes recorded by the police, 26 per cent were committed against men, equating to around 155,000 offences per year.

Colin  Bennett, Chair of Trustees at Green Door Families and the Founder/Leader of MAST, said there was a clear need for a support group for men.

He said: “I went round lots of different charities in BCP and said: ‘what do you think we’re missing?’

“Liz Carter [formerly Charity Manager at the Water Lily Project supporting and empowering vulnerable women in Christchurch and surrounding areas] said that whenever they went out and did a presentation about women, people always said: ‘what about the men?’.

“I talked to a few people and they said they’d love to come and support me and it started from there.

“We started hiring space at the Water Lily Project and then at The Runway in Christchurch and also at Boscombe Baptist Church.

“Now we’re looking to develop a fourth one in Poole.

“The criteria is if someone is just not flourishing and feel that they’re struggling.

“I’ve got men who have been domestically abused but also have had addictions, mental health difficulties or suffered bereavement.

“One man told me that we had saved his life.

“He had mental health difficulties and said: ‘this is the best group I’ve ever belonged to’. It’s fantastic.”

Two of the groups – at The Runway, Christchurch, and Boscombe Baptist Church – meet at lunchtime while the third is over breakfast at the Water Lily Café.

Colin said: “We’ll always eat and it’s free because Green Door pays the costs.

“The lunchtime ones will be a soup and a roll and some cheese while the Water Lily meeting is on a Saturday from 10 until 12 with a full cooked breakfast.

“I’ll talk for ten minutes and introduce a theme.

“We’ll also do a bit of a quiz and hand out prizes as well.

“Anybody who wants to speak can.

“It’s not a religious group.

“People sometimes come with preconceived ideas of what it’s going to be like and then they feel relaxed enough to take part.

“The great thing about the groups is that there is trust.

“We all need a family, outside our own biological family.

“The church does that and so do these men’s groups.”

Colin, 67, is married with three children and was Vice Principal of Moorlands College, a theological college at Sopley, for nearly 30 years.

He is now a freelance management coaching and training consultant as well as a Trustee of the Water Lily Project, Prama Foundation and Green Door Families.

Last year MAST was named as a ‘Community Hero’ by Community Action Network (CAN).

Emma Lee, pictured right, Partnership Manager at CAN, said “The support that MAST provides to some of the most vulnerable men in our county is unparalleled.

“ It is a wonderful charity supporting men that otherwise wouldn’t know where to turn.”

Colin said: “We get about a dozen men to each of our meetings.

“There are other men’s groups but I don’t believe there’s anything like this.

“Without question, we are fulfilling a need.”

• greendoorfamilies.org/mast