No pressure · No judgement
Men's Circle in Canterbury, Kent
A couple of hours with other men. You don't need to be struggling. You don't need to talk about anything personal. You don't need to know what a men's circle is. Come in, grab a drink, and meet some other men, we'll talk about whatever's actually going on in life: work, relationships, fatherhood, stress, getting older, or nothing particularly serious. Some men talk. Some listen. Both count.
Next session
Monday 9 Nov 2026 · 18:30, 20:30
Save your place
Second Monday each month · Canterbury · £10 suggested donation, nobody turned away.
No account needed · under 60 seconds
You don't have to speak.
You won't be judged.
Some men just sit and listen.
You can take this at your own pace.
New to this?
What actually happens?
You arrive and are welcomed at the door.
Grab a tea or coffee, there's no rush.
Sit with a small group of men, around 6 to 12.
A facilitator introduces the evening and a loose theme.
Nobody is forced to speak. You can just listen.
There's no expectation to tell your life story.
Conversation can be serious, ordinary, funny or quiet.
The group finishes at the time advertised.
First-time men are welcome, every single time.
If it doesn't feel right for you, you're free to leave.
Never been to anything like this before?
Most men feel nervous before their first session, that's completely normal, and you won't be the only one who's ever felt it walking in.
- You will not be asked to perform.
- You will not be forced to disclose anything.
- It's completely fine to come and just listen.
- You can contact us beforehand with any questions.
- If it helps, someone can meet you outside before the session.
You don't need to be struggling to come.
The Men's Circle isn't only for men in crisis. You don't need a diagnosis, a referral, a mental-health condition or a dramatic story to justify being here. Plenty of men come for connection, conversation, friendship and community, brotherhood, laughter, and the kind of company that's harder to find than it should be. Wanting more meaningful time with other men is reason enough on its own.
Do I have to talk?
No. You can listen. You don't need to prepare anything, tell your life story, or disclose anything you're not ready to. If you'd rather speak, there's room for that too, but coming to listen is always enough.
Conversation covers ordinary life as much as anything else: work, relationships, fatherhood, stress, confidence, getting older, things going well and things going badly. Some men talk a lot. Some say very little. Both are welcome.
A men's group in Canterbury, the way it used to be done
Long before therapy rooms and waiting lists, men gathered. Around fires, in workshops, in barns and on hillsides. They sat together and they spoke honestly. Not always about feelings. Sometimes about work. Sometimes about loss. Sometimes about nothing at all. But the gathering itself did the work.
That's what this is. A modern men's circle in Canterbury, held in the simplest, oldest way. Men sitting in a circle. Men speaking honestly. Men standing alongside each other for a couple of hours a month, so that the rest of the month feels less heavy.
You don't need to be in crisis to come. You don't need to be a man who already talks about his feelings. You don't need to know what you'd say. Most men arrive not knowing. That's part of why it works.
The circle meets at The Yurt at The Quiet View, in Kingston, just outside Canterbury. A calm, quiet setting that makes honest conversation easier. A wood burner in winter. The sound of birds in summer. And a room full of men who, like you, came because something in them was looking for it. Come as you are. Whatever you believe, whatever you're carrying, you're welcome exactly as you turn up.
Why men come
Most men don't have anywhere honest to go
You can have a good job, a partner, kids, mates at the pub, and still feel completely alone with what's actually going on inside you. Most men do. We're taught to manage it. To get on. To not make a fuss. And then one day it gets too heavy to keep carrying quietly.
Men come to the circle because they're tired of holding it all in. Because something has shifted, a relationship, a loss, a wave of anxiety, a quiet sense that this isn't sustainable. Or because nothing dramatic has happened, and that's somehow the harder thing.
They come because they've sensed that they need other men. Not advice. Not fixing. Just other men who get it.
Just as often, men come for reasons that have nothing to do with struggle at all. Brotherhood. Friendship. A decent laugh with other men. Curiosity. Wanting proper conversation instead of small talk at the pub. Nobody needs a dramatic reason to want more meaningful company than most weeks offer.
What to Expect
A steady, held space
Small & Intentional
Groups are kept intimate, typically 6 to 12 men, so every voice matters and every man is seen.
Structured & Spacious
Each circle follows a gentle rhythm: check-ins, sharing rounds, and closing reflection. There's always room to breathe.
Most men come to their first circle quiet and unsure. You can sit, listen, and pass when the talking-piece reaches you. Showing up is the work.
What do men talk about?
Work, relationships, fatherhood, money, stress, confidence, recovery, friendship, health, loss, change, getting older, things going well and things going badly. Ordinary life, mostly. Sometimes the conversation is serious. Sometimes it isn't. There's room for both.
How the circle works
A few simple agreements hold the space: one man speaks at a time, everyone else listens without interrupting, nobody gives unsolicited advice or tries to fix another man's problem, and you can pass at any point without needing to explain why.
What's shared in the room stays between the men in it, within the boundaries of MENd's safeguarding responsibilities, which apply here as they do across everything MENd runs.
Who can come?
Any man, of any age, from any background. You don't need a referral, a diagnosis, or a reason. If you're a man and you want to be in a room with other men who are willing to be honest, you belong here. We see men from across Canterbury, Whitstable, Herne Bay, Faversham, Ashford, Folkestone, and the wider Kent area.
A men's circle is
- A facilitated gathering
- Conversation
- Listening
- Community
- Peer connection
- A place to speak or pass
- A regular local gathering
It isn't
- Group therapy
- Counselling
- Clinical mental-health treatment
- A crisis service
- A debate club
- A place where men fix one another
- Forced vulnerability
Schedule
When & where
Next circle: Monday 9 Nov 2026
18:30 to 20:30 · 2nd Monday of every month · no circle on 12 October, next is 9 November
The Yurt, The Quiet View
146 The St, Kingston, Canterbury CT4 6FG
£10 suggested donation
Open to all men. No referral needed. No man turned away for lack of funds, support our work.
The Quiet View
Set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, just outside Canterbury, with wide views over the Kent countryside. The garden and yurt are open throughout the year for individuals and groups to come and talk, reflect, or simply rest. Everyone is welcome here.
Around the garden you'll find hidden 'rooms' created from the natural environment. Places to sit peacefully, reflect, or simply be. The Quiet View was made for the kind of slowing down this work needs.
The Yurt
The yurt has blue painted doors to signify that all are welcome. Inside, the space is warm and held. A wood burner in the centre, soft lighting, comfortable seating arranged in a circle. There is a small kitchen and a toilet on site.
As you walk in, the place feels calm and steady, which makes it easier to put down what you're carrying. Cosy in winter and airy in summer. No matter how hard the wind blows outside, everyone feels safe in the Yurt.
Find us
The Yurt at The Quiet View
146 The Street, Kingston, Canterbury CT4 6FG. Set just outside Canterbury in the Kent Downs, with parking on site.
Officially registered
MENd Together is now a registered Community Interest Company
Our men's circle is run by a non-profit CIC, accountable to the community it serves. Every space is low-cost or donation-based, trauma-informed and held by trained facilitators. Read about our CIC status.
Coming up next
Find your next way in
Your next opportunity to connect, talk, learn, and be part of the MENd Together community.
Starts
Online Peer Support Group
A confidential online peer support group for male survivors of CSA and childhood trauma.
- Tuesday 3 November
- 7:00pm
- Online
- Open to all men
- £10 per person, per week
First time? You're welcome, no experience needed, and you're free to just listen.
FAQ
Common questions about the men's circle
Everything men usually want to know before their first circle in Canterbury.
MENDTOGETHER CIC · Community Interest Company · Company No. 17243546·Learn more
What the men's circle actually is
Volunteer-led. Built with men who've walked this path. We'd rather be clear than oversell, so here's what to expect, and what to do if it isn't right for you.
A monthly Canterbury gathering where men sit, speak, or pass, at their own pace, with no agenda beyond being heard. £10 suggested donation; no man turned away.
It isn't group therapy and it isn't a debate club. We don't fix each other or give unsolicited advice.
Carrying childhood trauma? Explore Peer SupportJoin a Men's Circle in Canterbury
Reserving your place takes under a minute, no account needed, no commitment, no pressure.
Are you supporting a man professionally?
GPs, social prescribers, charities and support workers can refer a man into the Men's Circle directly.
Professional referral routeMore from the MENd Journal
Healthy Masculinity in 2026
The old rules of masculinity no longer work. MENd Together's Men's Circle in Canterbury, Kent explores healthy manhood for men across the UK.
What Is a Men's Circle?
A men's circle is a structured space for honest conversation. MENd Together runs a Men's Circle in Canterbury, Kent (£10 suggested donation, nobody turned away), open to men UK-wide.
Fatherhood and Mental Health
Fatherhood changes a man's mental health more than most expect. Honest insight and support for dads in Canterbury, Kent and across the UK from MENd Together.
A supported next step
Men's Circle
Monthly gathering in Canterbury. No fixing, just honest company with other men.
You might also find these helpful
Men's mental health support in Canterbury
Everything we offer locally in Canterbury and Kent.
Trauma support for men across the UK
If you're dealing with trauma, PTSD, or CPTSD, find out more about how we can help.
Peer Support Group for male survivors
A weekly online group for men affected by childhood trauma.
The Circle, our mixed gathering
A monthly gathering open to men and women.
What does it mean to be a man today?
An honest look at masculinity, strength, and vulnerability.
Coming to a circle
What usually happens
- 01
You arrive. Tea is on. There's a quiet welcome.
- 02
We sit in a circle. Phones away.
- 03
Each man speaks in turn, or passes. Both are fine.
- 04
You can leave at any time. You take your pace.
Professional & partner referrals
GPs, clinicians, social workers, charities and partner agencies can refer a man for peer support, groups or programmes.
We only count what we can verify. No invented testimonials, no growth-chart vanity numbers. When men share their words with consent, they show up here.
Help keep this work free for men who need it
MENd Together is a Community Interest Company. Every donation helps fund free groups, peer support and outreach across Kent.