Suicide is the single largest cause of death for men under the age of 50.
Back in 2016, Luke Ambler alongside his mother-in-law, who had lost their brother-in-law and son Andrew Roberts to suicide, set up the Andy Man’s club, a men’s mental health charity offering men a safe space each week to come for a talk. Originally founded in Halifax, the club started out as one group meeting on a Monday night, now they have over 100 groups nationwide, all run by volunteers, helping nearly 3000 men weekly.
Here in Bristol, there are two groups held each Monday at 7pm. Started just 18 months ago there are around 50 men stepping through the doors of the two meetings each week.
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Andrew Greenway, who works in project development for the club, helps run the Bristol groups. He says there are no requirements to talk.
He said: “Not everybody is going to be ready to speak, they’re going to walk through the door and feel awkward, anxious and uncomfortable so the fact they can just sit there and listen is massive for them.”
He also talked me through what attending a meeting entails, from them being met initially outside the meeting venue as he said “we understand how much of a difficult step it is for men to walk through those doors.” Attendees are shown to the room and offered tea and biscuits, all free just like the sessions. They aim to keep the sessions as open and relaxed as possible, providing an air of togetherness.
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While Monday night is very much the power of helping these men, many have also taken to meeting up outside of the group, with Bristol having developed a cycling group from the meetings.
Andrew keenly highlighted they see people from “every walk of life,” across a wide range of ages as the group is open for men aged 18 and over.
The group is open to any who may feel they need the help, even just to listen to other experiences and know that they’re not alone. By using the #ITSOKTOTALK the group is removing the stigma attached to the idea of men’s mental health, encouraging openness to help prevent death by suicide.
Information on meeting in Bristol can be found on the Andy Man’s Club website.
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