Andy's Man Club

There were two speakers today, Steve and Darren from Grimsby's Andy's Man Club, which  is part of a country wide charity.

Darren and Steve opened the talk by saying that "unfortunately suicide is the biggest killer of men under the age of 54". A truly shocking statistic.

The club provides a  platform for men to meet and talk about any problem no matter how small or large. "We  see it as  suicide prevention" said Darren. To help people contribute they have a football known as 'the talking ball' and when any person catches it, they speak.

There are number of (ice breaker) questions eg:

"Any positive event today, this week?"

"Anything that you want to get off your chest?"

It can feel intimidating but it gets people talking. Some realise that their problem is small compared to  another person’s.

"One of the largest barriers is getting through the door" said Darren.

 "We are not trained counsellers but we share people’s problems and offer support and even referral. President Mike presented them with a cheque.

They meet every Monday evening at Franklin College, 7 - 9pm.

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