Admin - Please move to a more appropriate place if needed
Stokie in peace here ✌🏼 bit of a long read , but hopefully worth it for some of you. Unsure if any of you are aware, but have a group that we hold in the Vale Social. The club have been great with us and can’t thank them enough.
My name is Ben and I have been a user/facilitator of Andy's Man Club Stafford, for the past 4 years. Finally, after years of trying, we now have a group in Stoke!! This may be a long read but hopefully worth it for some of you.
What is Andy's Man Club? Well were a men's only (18+), peer to peer support group, run completely by users and volunteers, who host groups (180+) up and down the country every Monday night, 7pm-9pm, to get men talking. We’re none judgemental, completely confidential, and we want to get men talking. We have a series of 5 questions every week, 3 of which are the same, 2 are random. These consist of; How's your week been? A positive from you week? Anything to get off your chest? There is absolutely no pressure to talk and you can simply pass the question if you feel you need to. The benefit of just being there and having the courage to come through the doors is enough, you may hear something in the room which you can relate to and you take benefit from the group that way. Either way, 12 men a day are taking their own lives and it IS the biggest killer of men under the age of 45. This is a huge issue and one that needs talking about. Suicide shouldn't be a taboo subject, it should be discussed and we not only feel, we KNOW it works to get men talking. Please let me stress, you do not have the feel suicidal or have even been suicidal in the past to attend our groups. If your struggling with your mental health, have issues at home, at work, or your just lonely and need someone to talk to, or your just generally pissed off with life and need somewhere to rant, then we are there every Monday to listen!
A little about me. As I have said above, I have used AMC for 4 years now, facilitated at the Stafford group for almost all of those 4 years, and I have now had the honour to open a group in our wonderful city! I was initially a user of AMC and went in the first instance because I literally had nowhere else to turn, I have attempted suicide in the past, I can honestly say this group helped to save my life. I now work in mental health professionally with the NHS. However, when I facilitate on a Monday, I'm a user and a peer, everyone who attends is a like minded individual who can relate in a way that I don't feel anyone else can, because we have been through this. I volunteer to do this, because I genuinely know it works, and if I can open the doors and help to save one bloke, then it’s all worth it.
So if you do feel like you need to reach out, or ladies, if you know a man in your life who you feel could benefit from this, the please send them our way. As I say, completely confidential (unless a risk to harm or self or others), and a completely non-judgemental environment. Plus, free tea, coffee and biscuits!!
I'll provide the details below guys, but thanks for sticking with this! Even if it’s not for you right now, then please remember there is always someone willing to listen. It might be a <ovf censored> day, but it's not a <ovf censored> life!
7pm-9pm every Monday (except Bank Holidays)
AMC Stoke,
Port Vale FC, Entrance (Gate C), Supporters bar (white building),
Hamil Road,
Burslem,
ST6 1AW.
www.andysmanclub.co.uk
Thanks so much for reading and I genuinely hope I see some of you there. If not, then please help spread the word.
UTMP 😉
