The new group will see Andy’s Man Club deliver free weekly men’s peer support sessions, beginning on Monday 13 May at the Etihad Stadium, a familiar environment for our fans and the local community in East Manchester.
The sessions will take place from 19:00 (UK) to 21:00 (UK), in alignment with Andy’s Man Club sessions across the country and will be available to any males over the age of 18.
Attendees do not have to pre-register for the sessions, meaning they can simply show up without needing to do anything. In alignment with Andy’s Man Clubs across the country, no identification is required and fans do not have to speak during the sessions if they prefer not to.
Participants will be asked to arrive from 18:30 (UK) ahead of the 19:00 (UK) start time. Those attending should arrive at the main reception of the East Stand, where they will be met by volunteer facilitators from Andy’s Man Club, who will guide them to the venue within the Etihad Stadium.
More information will also be available at our dedicated Fan Support Help Centre ahead of the first session.
In recent years, Stones has opened up about his own experiences with mental health as a professional footballer. During this discussion, Stones met with Lucas Whitehead and Oliver Vikse to engage in a series of subjects that feature in Andy’s Man Club groups across the country.
Commenting on the experience and the new initiative with Andy’s Man Club, John Stones said:
“It was a pleasure to sit down with Lucas and Oliver.
When this came up ahead of the Club launching an Andy’s Man Club, I wanted to be involved and be a part of the journey.
I hope the new group will make a real difference and continue to support men in the local area.”
Oliver Vikse, Project Development Champion at Andy’s Man Club, said:
“It is completely surreal to think that an organisation I first involved myself back in 2016, that was used by only nine men, is working alongside a household name like Manchester City. Since that first session I attended in 2016, my life has transformed immeasurably, as has the charity, and the fact that City are hosting sessions from 13th May onwards gives me an incredible amount of hope that the men of Manchester will follow a similar path to mine. It’s Okay To Talk!”
The new support group at the Etihad Stadium will become the first Andy’s Man Club in East Manchester, joining over 180 clubs nationwide which currently support more than 4,000 men.
The development of this programme builds on the Club’s work in the area of mental health and wellbeing over recent years, which includes City in the Community’s (CITC) City Thrive programme, in partnership with the NHS. It also comes alongside the Club’s recent collaboration with Feel Good Club, a local Manchester small business which ‘exists to spread positivity and love’ with a ‘mission to make one person feel good about themselves each day’.
Further information about the first session will be shared on the Club’s website and social media platforms as we move through April into May. In the meantime, for more information about Andy’s Man Club, please visit: https://andysmanclub.co.uk/
