Space North East
Helping one of the North East’s leading men’s mental health organisations build awareness, strengthen its community, and encourage more men to reach out through strategic social media.
The Challenge
Space North East is a North East-based men’s mental health organisation providing free peer support groups, boxing sessions, yoga, community walks and much more to help men improve their mental wellbeing. When we first started working together, they had an incredible story to tell, but their social media wasn’t doing it justice.
Having previously worked with an agency, they felt the content lacked creativity, emotion and initiative. It felt generic, inconsistent and didn’t truly represent the organisation or the impact it was having across the region. They wanted someone who understood both social media and the challenges many men face, and who could translate that understanding into content that genuinely connected.
The goal was clear: build awareness, create a stronger sense of community, consistently produce engaging content, and help more men across the North East discover the support available.
Discovery & Strategy
Before creating a single piece of content, I wanted to understand everything that made Space North East different.
I looked at what had worked well historically, what hadn’t, and how similar organisations were showing up online. I spent time researching other local and national charities, identifying gaps in their content and opportunities that Space North East could use to stand out. One thing that surprised me straight away was just how little high-quality, engaging content existed in the men’s mental health space.
From our very first strategy conversations, it was obvious how passionate James was about helping men across the North East. He had a clear vision for where Space North East was heading, and his passion for creating a welcoming, judgement-free community was infectious. The more I learned about the organisation, the more I realised this wasn’t just another client, it was a movement changing lives every single week.
As I got to know their audience better, it became clear that the content needed to do more than simply promote events. It had to educate, reassure and make men feel seen. Every post needed to reflect the brand’s bold, direct and down-to-earth personality while speaking to working-class men in a way that felt genuine and relatable.
The strategy centred around three key pillars:
- Educate men about mental health in an approachable, non-intimidating way.
- Promote the support available and make it easy for people to take the first step.
- Celebrate the community, showing real people, real stories and the positive impact Space North East was having across the region.
The aim was simple: create content that helped the majority of people simply by seeing it, while encouraging those who needed extra support to take action.
Bringing the Strategy to Life
Once the strategy was in place, creativity became the vehicle for delivering it.
Rather than relying on static graphics alone, I introduced a mix of reels, carousels, stories and branded graphics that reflected the personality of the organisation and the people it served. I attended community walks, boxing sessions and events to capture genuine moments, allowing the audience to see the community exactly as it was. Welcoming, supportive and built for everyday men.
Some of the strongest-performing content leaned into local identity, using familiar North East phrases such as “Tell Ya Dar” and “You Areet, Mate?” to instantly create a sense of familiarity and connection. Combined with educational content around men’s mental health, awareness campaigns such as Suicide Prevention Month, and authentic footage from community events, the page became a place where people could learn, relate and feel encouraged to get involved.
One of the highlights of the project was visiting Sunderland AFC’s training ground to capture content when Space North East’s coffee van attended the club. It was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the organisation in a completely different environment while reinforcing the growing recognition it was receiving across the region.
Throughout the project, every creative decision came back to one question:
Would this help someone feel understood or encourage them to take that first step?
The Results
Over the nine months we worked together, the organisation saw significant growth across its social media presence.
- 1 million impressions across Facebook and Instagram combined.
- 24.9% follower growth.
- 263.3% increase in Instagram profile views.
- More men attending support groups and community events.
- Increased enquiries and conversations through social media.
- A stronger online presence that genuinely reflected the quality and impact of the organisation.
Just as importantly, the organisation continued building awareness across the North East, helping ensure more men knew that support was available whenever they needed it.
What People Started Saying
Alongside the numbers came something equally valuable: feedback.
James regularly received comments about how much more professional the social media had become, while members of the community described the content as more engaging, relatable and reflective of what Space North East stood for. The team felt the content finally matched the warmth, care and impact they delivered every day, helping to normalise conversations around men’s mental health and encouraging more people to engage with the organisation.
My Biggest Takeaway
This project reminded me that social media isn’t just about growing an audience, it’s about helping the right people find you.
One of the proudest moments was hearing that new lads had attended groups after discovering Space North East on Instagram, and seeing feedback forms confirm that social media had been their first introduction to the organisation. Knowing that the content had played even a small part in someone taking that first step made every hour spent planning, filming and creating worthwhile.
Every conversation I had with James reinforced why this work mattered. Hearing him speak about the lives being changed through the organisation filled me with genuine pride, and being trusted to help tell that story was a privilege.
For me, that’s what social media should do. It shouldn’t just generate impressions or followers. It should build trust, create connection and, when it really matters, help people find the support they need.