Manchester mental health cafe Feel Good Club is the latest independent to sadly announce it’ll be closing its doors for good.
You may know the Feel Good Club from the success of its wellbeing-focused cafe which opened in the heart of the Northern Quarter in October 2020, where it has since been brewing up quality coffee, serving all-day brunch full of all your favourite comfort foods, and hosting regular events to bring the Manchester community together.
The Feel Good Club movement actually started humblyas an Instagram page filled with uplifting messages and top tips, however, by founders Kiera and Aimie Lawlor-Skillen.
The carefully-curated social media page aimed at normalising the stigma around mental health and has since flourished into a successful platform of 530,000+ followers, and has led the pair to being able to release their own book, clothing lines, start a podcast, and so much more.
But the upcoming closure of its Northern Quarter cafe next month is one that will hit Manchester hard, amid a growing number of independent businesses struggling to stay afloat.
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Feel Good Club has announced the closure of its Manchester cafe / Credit: The Manc Group
Taking to Instagram yesterday to announce the closure, Feel Good Club wrote: “We’re absolutely gutted to have to deliver this message but, just weeks before our fifth birthday, our venue in Northern Quarter will be closing on the 23 September.
“We’ve spent the past 12+ months seeing some of our favourite venues in the city closing around us, and whilst we’ve been trying to do everything in our power not to, it’s felt like an inevitability that we’ve been unable to escape, and we’ll sadly be joining the list of some incredible places that have been lost to the current hospitality crisis.
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“Holding on any longer would mean risking letting down our team and suppliers, and they come first here.
The Northern Quarter cafe opened its doors in October 2020 / Credit: The Manc Group
“We’ve poured every part of ourselves, our lives. and energy into the physical venue of Feel Good Club.
“We’ve loved, we’ve lost, and we’ve had some of the best moments of our lives in that space, joined by friends, family, and the chosen family we have met along the way. From the cabarets and dancing on tables, to the weddings, the markets, the protests, the music, the memorials, and the real, raw, and important conversations.
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“We’d like to thank everyone who has brought their visions to life in the club.”
Founders Kiera and Aimie then went on to thank every single visitor who’s ever come through the doors of their cafe, as well as all the staff who have worked there over the years, and ultimately, everyone who has supported them on their journey.
They also made sure to add that ‘this is not the end for Feel Good Club’ and that they are actively looking for pop-up opportunities to keep the community alive.
“We will continue to be exactly what it always has been – a safe corner of the internet for everyone and anyone that needs it,” their statement concluded.
Feel Good Club will close its doors in the Northern Quarter on Tuesday 23 September 2025, so make sure you go and show them some love before then.
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If you or anyone you know is struggling right now, please know that you are never alone and there are many different places you can reach out to for support right here in Greater Manchester.
Suffering in silence never need be the way.
Manchester Mind – An organisation that has supported people in Manchester for over 30 years. Most services are now available over the phone, by email or video call. The number is 0161 769 5732 and the opening hours are Mon to Fri, 10am-2pm.
The GM Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust– The local NHS helpline is open 24/7 which you can call any time, day or night, if you feel your mental health is beginning to suffer: 0800 953 0285.
Andy’s Man Club – A group dedicated to starting conversations about mental health, assuring people that it’s ok to talk. You can contact them by email on: [email protected].
CALM – The Campaign Against Living Miserably supports people via phone and webchat. You can call 0800 58 58 58 or speak to a support worker online. Open 5pm to midnight.
Samaritans – The Manchester & Salford Samaritans offer emotional support by telephone and email. The phone lines and email support are available 24/7. Call 116 123 or visit the website.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
News
A Withington boozer has been named ‘Pub of the Year’ in South Manchester for 2026
Danny Jones
A pub in Withington has just been named the best pub in the South Manchester area for 2026, as the area continues to back CAMRA and proper boozers.
It’s not the first time they’ve picked up this kind of gong either.
Technically, it’s picked up the award for ‘Pub of the Year for Stockport and South Manchester’, but the venue itself sits on the edge of Withy and the outskirts of Fallowfield.
Operated by legendary local business, Hydes Brewery, they claim the trophy after having just missed out on the top spot in 2025, coming second behind The Crown in Heaton Mersey.
Not this time, though, as the Hydes pub located along Wilmslow Road won this year’s prize by some distance, in fact.
The Salford-born beer makers obviously have lots of sites all over Greater Manchester, many of whom regularly pick up monthly Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) awards – not to mention collecting a fair few annual ones – The Vic in Withington is one thought to have been long overdue for the grand prize.
Beloved by regulars and other nearby residents in and around the borough alike, the local community believe this place to be much more than just another watering hole.
For example, it’s been celebrated for its diversity and grassroots work throughout the area, with the team receiving praise for their extensive charitable efforts, such as with the Mero’s World Foundation.
The organisation was established by native Manc mum, Kelly Brown, in memory of her son Rhamero West, who was tragically stabbed to death in Manchester in 2021 at the age of 16; the charity aims to combat knife crime and support youth in the community through various initiatives.
As for The Vic, they’ve helped support the cause for many years, raising vital funds through their New Year’s Eve ticket sales, raffles, and with the management team taking on multiple athletic and endurance challenges on behalf of the cause.
Put simply, husband and wife landlords, Alyson and Paul Mitchell, are absolute legends.
Commenting on the win, Alyson said in a statement: “We’re so proud to win this award, and it is a real honour to be named the best pub in the region by CAMRA. We love what we do, but we couldn’t do it without our amazing team and the incredible support and top-quality ales we receive from Hydes.
“The Victoria is a truly special place for us, and we genuinely have the best customers you could ask for, from students to our local regulars. Winning this year after coming so close previously proves that our collective hard work has really paid off.”
Aside from serving a regular lineup of five or five Hydes cask beers, showing all the games on the box, and generally becoming a bit of a cornerstone of the community, Vic customers also helped raise £1,000 for the Withington Civic Society to install a much-needed community defibrillator outside the premises.
These are the kinds of things we want to hear happening in public houses across the ten boroughs, and it’s yet another instance of South Manchester, specifically, enjoying its moment in the sud-soaked sun.
Manchester City win first Women’s Super League title in a decade
Danny Jones
After a decade of hope and hard work, Manchester City have finally won the Women’s Super League once again in a huge moment for the local club.
Lifting not just their first division title in 10 years, but only their second WSL trophy since the modern female football era began in 2010, it felt like only a matter of time to many supporters.
Ending a six-year Chelsea supremacy, this is also manager Andrée Jeglertz’s first at the helm of Man City’s women’s team, who arrived at the club with a strong silverware record at the start of this season.
These were the scenes at home base as one key result sealed their status as champions:
— Manchester City Women (@ManCityWomen) May 6, 2026
City Women secured the WSL title following third-placed Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Brighton on Wednesday evening.
They even managed to do so with a game to spare and a six-point gap over the west London club, which has won so much over the past few years.
Speaking in an interview with club media after confirmation of the win, captain and Euro 2025-winning Lionesses defender, Alex Greenwood, said: “[It feels] absolutely incredible. “A moment – we as a team, me personally – us as a club has waited so long for”.
“An incredible moment, it’s an incredible feeling. I’m so glad we got to spend this moment together as a group. Just an absolutely incredible feeling.”
With fans watching both at home, along with the first team themselves, the celebrations have already begun as the team shared a look back at how they got here.
You can see the recap posted on social media in full below.
Commenting on his latest accolade, the Swedish head coach added in a full club statement: “There’s never been doubt about the talent in the group, but there is something else about talking about being winners and champions. We started that early, and we believed in that. That’s led us through this year.
“It hasn’t been easy; it’s been hard work every day, but we had a strong belief that we could be sitting here in May and be champions. That is the first thing, and we definitely deserve it.”
Congratulations to the Cityzens on a well-deserved and long-awaited WSL title; could this be the start of another sporting dynasty of dominance over in East Manchester? Only time will tell…
In other news around the Etihad Campus, the women’s, EDS and academy team stadium is also set to host the final of the FA Youth Cup later this month.
Emily Sergeant -
27th August 2025 
