ANDYSMANCLUB is a men’s suicide prevention charity, which aims to end the stigma surrounding men’s mental health.
The charity was founded in 2016 in the wake of the death of Andy Roberts, a 23-year-old man who took his own life.
Andy’s family had no idea that he was struggling, and as a result, his mother Elaine Roberts and brother-in-law Luke Ambler came up with the idea of ANDYSMANCLUB, a group where men could speak openly about their mental health in a non-clinical and judgement-free environment.
A survey conducted in 2021 by Reach Out Liverpool suggests that Liverpool has a relatively low rate of deaths from suicide compared to the national figure, with 50 deaths from suicide in 2021.
Despite males accounting for the majority of the deaths in Liverpool and nationally, the survey suggests that there has been a recent increase in female deaths.
According to the Office for National Statistics, 5,219 suicides were registered in 2021. The male suicide rate was 15.8 per 100,000 compared to female rates of 5.5 per 100,000.
Luke aims to help men through the power of conversation
It was found that males aged 50-54 had the highest suicide rate.
Luke Tetlow, Project Development Champion for ANDYSMANCLUB, aims to help men through the power of conversation. He said: “We have 18 clubs in the north west that are out there because people needed an ANDYSMANCLUB in them areas.
“I’ve seen first-hand how someone has really struggled, and just by talking, where they are now, they are completely different.
“So, for World Mental Health we need to highlight getting more people; men or women to start talking. That is really important.
“Having a day to highlight that it is okay to talk man or woman- it is great to have something like this.’’
ANDYSMANCLUB has over 120 free groups nationwide running every Monday from 7pm. Over 2,800 men use their sessions across the UK every week, with three hubs located at the Exchange Flags in Liverpool City Centre, Crosby, and in Southport.
It is estimated that one man takes his life every two hours in the UK, due to men suppressing their feelings and not opening up.
Luke said: “It is hard to talk about what’s going on in your head, but the moment as soon as you start talking, things just keep on getting better and better.’’
Featured image (c) Wikimedia Creative Commons Rigos101
