Coleraine man starts 'Dander and Santer' group to help men talk about their mental health

Graham Seaton started the walking group when he returned to his home town of Coleraine in 2022 after working in the utilities industry in London and the Midlands for almost 20 years.

“When I was living in London, I was a member and walk leader for a group called The Proper Blokes Club,” said Graham.

"It's the exact same ethos as Dander and Santer and when I first moved home, I did consider just starting up a walk through The Proper Blokes Club but, being here I thought it would be better received to have a standalone group that I could grow on my own.

"I moved home due to being evicted from my flat in London and having been at a low point for quite some time that resulted in over drinking, a self-harming episode and closing myself off.

“So, I came home, got some great support and counselling from The Olive Branch and wanted to give something back to the area and, while I've learned there is some great support for men's mental health in the area, there is nothing like what I'm offering, I think.”

And what Graham is offering in the Dander and Santer community is very simple – a walk and a chat...or, as we say in Northern Ireland, a dander and a santer.

Graham continued: “It took some time to come up with the name, but I wanted something that was relatively self-explanatory – what the group was about but also letting people know it wasn't a fitness focused group.

"It's a gentle dander at whatever pace is comfortable. Usually ‘santer’ is a word denoted with people talking too much but, I think in this instance, there isn't enough talking so it's showing that there isn't a limit.

"It doesn't need to be deep meaningful chats, they can be about anything and also there is zero judgement and I try and lead by example on my own struggles.”

The danders usually take place on a Monday evening, meeting up in the Diamond area of Coleraine. They are open to any men over the age of 18 from any background.

Graham is keen to have the weekly Dander and Santer established in Coleraine on a regular basis but added: “I don't want to be running before we're walking as it were and I'd like to get a solid basis on one Dander with regular attendance.

"I've had people reach out from across the Borough about starting a dander near them and also had some messages from some ladies asking about a mixed gender dander.

"Nothing is off the table but I'm a one man operation at the minute, but it's definitely something I'm looking at, but also doing it the right way.”

For further information on where to meet Graham for a ‘dander and santer’, check out his Facebook page which gives details of each session.