Movember is the annual awareness month for men’s health issues including, encouraging testing for prostate cancer, testicular cancer and suicide through growing a moustache for the duration of the month. The most recent statistics for men’s suicide rates in the UK are shocking, males aged 45-49 have the highest suicide rate says Samaritans.
Andy’s man club is a volunteer led group that started in Halifax after a man named Andy took his own life at just 23. His family set up the group in his name in hopes of helping those like their son and friend and helping men talk to talk about their problems.
Andy’s man club is free and anyone can attend (if you’re a man) they run on Monday evenings and are open to help with all problems with only certain topics of the table including religion, politics and crime.
In order to get their message heard they have wrapped a TransPennine Express train in their branding which reads “It’s okay to talk” and this will last 2 years.
Lucas Whitehead works at Andy’s man club and said “All of the volunteers are former attendees and have come full circle in their journey and now support other men in the club.”
He also expressed that although he appreaciates designated events and awareness days he said for those at Andy’s man club men’s health is important everyday and he says it’s a shame we even have to have days like these.
He said the most shocking male suicide statistic is ” The construction company is heavily male dominated and there’s a stat where in 2022 507 suicide in the UK in construction company and 503 were male.”
He added, “its a place where you don’t feel like you’re in a position where you can’ open up.”
Joe Shipp is just one of the many men to be sporting and supporting a moustache for the whole month. He said:
One of Andy’s main priorities is to break down the stigma that men should be tough and that they are the supporters who shouldn’t show vulnerability.
Recent public figures like Tyson Fury and Delle Alli being open about their struggles with mental health has helped break those traditional gender stereotypes of men having to always be strong. In truth vulnerability is strength.
