At the Club’s home fixture against Coventry City on 4th September, Andy’s Mans Club founder Luke Ambler and Manchester Facilitator, Omar Latif-Akhtar joined Danny Wilson, Manchester City Operations Managing Director in a half-time interview to discuss the importance of having that first conversation and reaching out for support. Manchester City supporters showed their strong support for raising awareness, with 89% supporters surveyed post-match agreeing that the Club has an important role to play in raising awareness of suicide prevention and mental health support.
Supporters also welcomed the visibility of Club supported initiatives. One fan commented:
“It is so important to get the message across to people who maybe feel ashamed to ask for help. The more you can do during matches can only help.”
Building on this positive feedback, the Club is pleased to trial a match day support service with the Samaritans Manchester and Salford branch.
The match day service enables supporters to talk to someone confidentially about how they are feeling and find out about further support if they need it. You don’t need to be in crisis to come along. Whether you want a conversation, some information or simply to work through something on your mind, there is someone to listen without judgement. The match day service is delivered in collaboration with Samaritans Manchester and Salford Branch experienced volunteers trained in supporting people experiencing suicidal thoughts or impacted by suicide.
Matchday service Dates:
- Man City v Sunderland, Sunday 20th September (12.00-14.30)
The first match day service takes place outside W door, Colin Bell Stand from 12.00 – 14.30 on Sunday 20th September.
Ongoing Mental Health Support
This matchday service is a continuation of the Club’s ongoing mental health and suicide prevention initiatives. Manchester City continues to host Andy’s Man Club every Monday in the East Stand, providing peer-to-peer support for men aged 18 and over, and delivers the City Thrive programme to help young people under 25 manage their wellbeing.
Where to find support:
Andy’s Man Club
Andy’s Man Club sessions run every Monday from 19:00 – 21:00 in the East Stand of the Etihad Stadium, excluding Bank Holidays. If you or someone you know is interested in attending an Andy’s Man Club session at the Etihad more information can be found here.
Andy’s Man Club runs at venues across the UK, every Monday. For more information please visit: https://andysmanclub.co.uk/
Samaritans
Samaritans is the charity that prevents suicide through the power of human connection. Their volunteers answer a call for help every 10 seconds. If you’re speaking to someone who appears to be in crisis, or is expressing suicidal feelings, you can signpost them to Samaritans on 116 123. This phone number is free to call and offers a confidential service that is available 24/7.
NHS 111: call 111 and select the mental health option for support available 24/7.
Premier League: the Together Against Suicide hub includes information on signs and symptoms to look for if you are concerned about how you or someone else is feeling, with support and referral information for domestic and international services. Visit premierleague.com/togetheragainstsuicide
Outside the UK: the International Association for Suicide Prevention lists crisis centres worldwide at iasp.info
