On average, one man every two hours takes his own life in the UK, according to Andy's Man Club. There is a stark gap between the number of men and women that die by suicide each year - and the stigma of men's mental health is a huge reason for that.
Booksy ambassador Bridey Jo is on a mission to reduce the rate of suicide in men by giving them a safe space to talk, in the privacy of her Wolverhampton barber shop, Bridey Jo Barbers.
The 28-year-old has a deeply personal connection to men's mental health after she lost her 36-year-old big brother Ben to suicide three years ago.
She now works with Andy's Man Club and Mind, as well as offering her customers one-to-one appointments in private rooms "without the pressure of an alpha male environment or other people listening in".
"For someone who is feeling suicidal, talking to a person without judgement can be the first step towards getting the help they need," Bridey Jo told the Mirror.
"I give my clients the opportunity to speak in private if they want to have a chat or just have some silent time, so they leave feeling mentally refreshed."
Bridey Jo reopened her barber shop after Ben passed away in 2020 with a new outlook to make it a supportive space.
"We lost our eldest brother Sam when he was 27-years-old and Ben struggled with his mental health ever since," Bridey Jo said.
"None of us knew that he was in a bad place when he was living in America, and we will never know why we lost him.
"All I can do now is encourage other people to speak up, so less siblings, families and friends have to go through the pain we did."
Bridey Jo, who has a 33-year-old sister named Abbi, will be doing a skydive in Ben's memory to raise money for Mind charity on May 20.
"It's something he always wanted to do with me and I know he'd be so proud," she said.
Bridey Jo said her customers often open up to her about their struggles, as getting their hair cut is a good time to offload.
"They might talk about the cost of living pressures, open up about relationship troubles or losing someone close," she explained.
"Talking to a stranger is a powerful thing and people underestimate how much of a difference it can make. Many don't have the finances to speak to therapists.
"I have always been an empathetic person and I care a lot about my clients, so I feel pride when they open up to me.
"I think it would be useful if barbers had some sort of training to speak to customers about their mental health."
Bridey Jo, who has been cutting hair for seven years, employs two other people in her barber shop and all of them are passionate about tackling the issue.
"I think men in particular struggle to talk about their mental health because society has led us to believe that it makes you weak or less powerful," she said.
"In my barber shop, I have posters around the room that say 'mental health matters', we give out Andy's Man Club leaflets and have positive mindset books that people can read while they are waiting."
Talking about her own mental wellbeing, Bridey Jo says self-care is so important for a healthier mind.
"I think firstly if I'm not feeling great, talking to people, like my close friends and family, really helps just lifting that initial burden," she explained.
"If I'm not able to do that, then putting a pen to paper and writing down anything that's stressing me, problems and worries really helps."
Bridey Jo's advice for others is to remember that you're not alone and "hundreds of thousands of people out there feel the same way you do".
You can book an appointment at Bridey Jo Barbers or donate to her fundraiser online.
Do you have a story to share? Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
