Men’s mental health group opens in Boscombe

Andy’s Man Club, a male mental health group, opened their Boscombe branch yesterday evening at the front of the Sovereign shopping centre.

14 new members arrived at the opening, which was recognised as a success by Dom White, an organiser and facilitator for the South East forum of the AMC.

“Stereotypically, blokes don’t talk about their emotions. The brilliant thing about the AMC is that you can just rock up and share whatever is on your mind.”

The club was named after Andrew Roberts, a 23 year old who took his own life after struggling with mental health issues.

Luke Ambler, Andy’s brother-in-law, founded the club with the support of Andy’s family with the aim to get men to talk about mental health, everyday struggles and everything in between.

It started in 2016 with their first location in Halifax, Yorkshire, and has since grown to over 250 locations all over the UK, with a group size of over 3000 members and 900 facilitators.

“It can be a really big thing for guys to walk in here for the first time and talk about their emotions,” said Dom.

“Stereotypically, men don’t talk about their emotions. There’s a stigma surrounding mental health, especially around men feeling like they have to ‘man up’.”

Dom said he is looking forward to getting to work and growing the group, emphasising the importance of creating a safe atmosphere.

“Everyone needs a place you can go where you can be safe and talk without being judged.”

75-80% of suicides are male, and it is the biggest killer of men under 50.

Clubs and charities like Andy’s Man Club work hard to get men talking to each other to reduce this figure.

The club meet every Monday from 7-9pm (except bank holidays) and welcome anyone who wants to come and talk. For more information, visit: andysmanclub.co.uk.