My Name is Liam Cunnane aged 46yrs and I want to talk about the stigma around mental health and my experiences.Initially I felt isolated and unable to socialise after being diagnosed with a Mental Health condition. I then heard about a group especially aimed at providing a beneficial environment for people who are experiencing Mental Health issues this was New Way Forward. After attending New way forward for 10 years my confidence steadily increased over the next 3 years. I then applied for the position of Volunteer as I felt I wanted to give something back to people with Mental Health. For the past 7 years I have built up an independency which I feel would not have happened if I had not come to New Way Forward. This gave me the encouragement to join the football team and become more interactive and sociable. This then increased me to face more challenges in my life and I wanted to become more involved hence I applied for the position as a Board of Director at NWF and I was successful in doing so. This in turn led to initiating a men’s group which I now also run once a week. With this in place it has meant that NWF can provide a group for men in a similar disposition and encourage a safe and beneficial environment. By running the men’s group my confidence has gone from strength to strength and encourages others to work towards their own goals such as interaction and being involved in group activities to gain new skills.