by Rebecca Hannant
The Withernsea branch of Andy’s Man Club has celebrated its first anniversary.
Andy’s Man Club is a men’s suicide prevention charity that provides free, peer-to-peer support groups across the UK.
Established in 2016, the charity has since seen groups set up across the country. It aims to end the stigma surrounding men’s mental health by offering a safe, non-judgmental space where men can talk openly about their experiences.
After seeing the impact of the charity nationally, a group of local men decided to establish a branch in Withernsea to support men in the local area.
Branch founder Josh Anderson said he was inspired to set up the group after noticing a lack of mental health support locally, with the nearest clubs around 15 miles away.
Shortly after the group was formed, Josh and the other organisers received support from Withernsea Golf Club, which offered its premises free of charge for weekly meetings.
The group meets every week, excluding bank holidays, from 7pm to 9pm at Withernsea Golf Club.
Sessions are centred on open conversation, with members invited to take part in a series of ice-breaker questions such as “How has your week been?”, “What is one positive from this week?” and “What has been your highlight this week?”.
Other questions may include “Is there anything you would like to get off your chest?”.
No GP referral is required, and any man aged 18 or over can attend free of charge