The agreement will see Andy’s Man Club deliver weekly men’s peer support sessions at the Etihad Stadium so men across our fanbase and local community can come together in a judgement-free space and be open about any issues in their lives.
The introduction of this service by the Club follows a sad rise in male suicide, which is one of the largest causes of death in men under the age of 50, comprising nearly 75% of all suicides across England and Wales. The North-West in particular is one of the most impacted regions in the country.
Founded in Halifax in 2016 to create positive change in men’s mental health, Andy’s Man Club is a suicide prevention charity offering free peer-to-peer support groups for males over the age of 18.
The new support group at the Etihad Stadium will launch in May becoming the first Andy’s Man Club in East Manchester, joining over 180 clubs nationwide which currently support more than 4,000 men.
The collaboration with Andy’s Man Club 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.
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City Thrive offers a blended approach for young people under the age of 25, including group workshops and one-to-one mentoring to educate participants on mental health subjects whilst also equipping them with the tools to regulate their own mental wellbeing.
Commenting on the Club’s new initiative with Andy’s Man Club, Danny Wilson, Managing Director - Manchester City Operations, said: “Over recent years, we have sadly lost a number of our fans to suicide and know that men often feel unable to talk about their wellbeing and the impact this can have on their own lives.
“By offering access to free, weekly meetings delivered by Andy’s Man Club and their team, we hope that our fans and the wider community who may need some additional support will have access to helpful resources, in a familiar environment at the Etihad Stadium.”
Luke Ambler, Chairman and Co-Founder of Andy’s Man Club, said: “I am delighted that AMC will be collaborating with Manchester City.
“When we first started the charity back in 2016, we were simply nine men in one room in Halifax who wanted to help themselves, and others, feel better about the situations they were in.
“The world of sport has always supported us massively and to have Manchester City come to us proactively to establish a new group at the Etihad Stadium is fantastic.
“Everything we do has an aim of getting in front of more men who need our support and this new collaboration will undoubtedly see us achieve this.”
Further information about the first event in May will be shared on the Club’s website and social media platforms over the coming weeks.
In the meantime, for more information about Andy’s Man Club, please visit andysmanclub.co.uk
