New men's mental health group starting in Corby tomorrow

A men's suicide prevention charity is opening a new branch in Corby.

Andy's Man Club are a men’s suicide prevention charity, offering free-to-attend peer-to-peer support groups across the United Kingdom and online.

They want to end the stigma surrounding men’s mental health and help men through the power of conversation.

Local spokesman Stuart Fawcett said: “The big thing about Andy’s Man Club is when we’re going through those storms our friendship circles shrink and it [Andy’s Man Club] does start to create friends and brotherhood again.”

Andy’s Man Club has 185 free support groups nationwide which more than 4,500 men attend each week.

The organisation takes its name from Andrew Roberts, a man who took his own life aged 23 in early 2016. His family had no idea that he was suffering.Elaine Roberts and Luke Ambler – Andy’s mum and brother-in-law – came up with the idea of the clubs.

In these groups, men can open up about the storms affecting their lives in a safe, judgement-free and non-clinical environment. The clubs are designed to be free of pressure, there is no obligation for men to speak, they can simply listen if they wish.

Their ultimate goal as an organisation is to have a club within 30 minutes of every man in the UK.

The new Corby group will be based in Patrick Road Resource Centre and is opening on Monday, April 15.

The group will be on every Monday from 7pm except for bank holidays.

Anyone can attend on opening day from 5pm and 6.30pm, including wives, friends, and families to come and find out a bit more about Andy’s Man Club.

Stuart has been working with facilitator Jake Wise and a team of people to get the club in Corby set up.

Stuart said: “Corby has materialised from lads that have attended our Duddington/Stamford club on a Monday and have been attending for a year or so, using the club as that safe space where guys can talk on a Monday night.

“Jake approached me, he lives in Corby, and said it would be really good to get a club open in Corby and we got behind it, found a space, then built the facilitator team.”