‘If we get support, we can start moving forward’: Andy’s Man Club celebrates sixth birthday in Preston

A mental health group in Preston are today celebrating their sixth anniversary, and are set to hold a birthday bash later tonight.

Andy’s Man Club in Preston was first launched in 2018, following popular demand from local men looking for a supportive community at home.

The charity, whose first branch in Halifax turned ten years old in April, provides a supportive environment for men to sit down and talk through their issues together, with an aim to help each other improve their mental health and wellbeing.

It was first launched by the family of Andrew Roberts, a 23-year-old man from Halifax who took his own life in 2016, and has now grown into hundreds of local clubs across the UK.

28-year-old Antony Valori is the area lead for Andy’s Man Club in Merseyside and the North West.

He first started going to his local branch in Liverpool nearly six years ago, after going through what he described as “the lowest point” of his life.

“I’d been going through struggles myself,” he told the Lancashire Post. “I tried to take my own life a couple of times. I was at the lowest point of my life.

“I attended the Andy’s Man Club in Liverpool and instantly got that support and that community feel, and I felt part of something. I then started helping out at that club, they opened another club, and I started helping out with that club as well.

“Two years ago, I started working for the charity as a staff member looking after Merseyside and the North West side of the country, helping them keep groups open and telling every man about what we offer.”

As it stands, men in the UK make up approximately three quarters of suicide victims, with men between 40 and 49 being the most at risk.

At the same time, men are significantly less likely to reach out to NHS therapies for support - with only 36 per cent of referrals being for men.

According to Antony, the Preston Andy’s Man Club was one of the first clubs opened in a major city.

Over the past six years, other branches in Chorley and Leyland have also sprung up, allowing more men than ever to get the support they need.

“We're all there to support each other,” he said. “If we can get that support and if we can find it, then we can start moving forward.

“We need to get guys talking and having conversations a lot more instead of us feeling low and not talking about things. Instead of bottling it up, we need to have those conversations.”

Tonight, Andy’s Man Club in Preston are preparing to host a birthday bash at Chew’s Yard to celebrate their sixth anniversary.

The free-to-enter event will feature live music from Saraban, Michelle, and Three State along with a DJ, and promises to be an evening to remember.

The event kicks off at 7pm and will last until 11pm this evening.

“The event tonight is just a little bit of a celebration for the guys,” Antony said. “The first Preston group was opened up six years ago now, so it’s a celebration for all of the lads and facilitators to celebrate where we’ve got up to.

“Getting guys through the door, just like I did, is a very tough thing to do. But once you do it, it's a really, really big help.

“All I want to do is try and get more guys through the door to get them that support, and hopefully allow them to feel a little bit better about themselves eventually.”