Andy's Man Club Sunderland Finds New Home

Andy’s Man Club used to meet weekly at the Beacon of Light but was left looking for a new home after the introduction of parking charges at Stadium of Light carparks, which came into effect this week.

With its sessions hitting the free two hour window at the carpark, organisers feared the charges could pose a barrier to people accessing the service.

In need of a new home, they put a post on Facebook looking for venue suggestions to accommodate its 40+ attendees – and the nearby Fans Museum answered the call.

Michael Ganley, founder of The Fans Museum, which already harnesses the power of football for its community and mental health work, said: “We started getting tagged by so many people in the post about needing a new venue, so we had a chat and put what was needed in place to make the group happen here.

“Andy’s Man Club is all about communication and it’s so important to break that stigma. I’ve met around 20 of the guys from the club now and they all said they feel really comfortable when they walked in the building, it’s a warm and welcoming safe space for them to talk.”

Michael Chapplow, Area Lead North East England for Andy’s Man Club, said: “AMC Sunderland means so much to me and to now to have the Fans Museum as a venue is fantastic.

“This allows us to continue to support so many men. With the support of Michael and everyone at the Fan Museum I am sure we will reach out to many more men, not just in Sunderland, but around the whole of the North East.”

Andy’s Man Club now meets at the Fans Museum, Monkwearmouth, every Monday from 7pm to 9pm

No referrals or sign ups are needed to attend, you can just turn up.

It’s totally free, including the parking, and any man aged 18 or over can attend. It’s also very close to St Peter’s Metro station for those using public transport.

The new location runs alongside the fellow Sunderland Andy’s Man Club at Kayll Road Library.

Both sessions run every Monday night, except Bank Holidays, and help scores of men across the city as part of the national Andy’s Man Club network.

Reaching thousands of men each week through its groups across the UK, Andy’s Man Club was set up by the family of Andrew Roberts who sadly took his own life aged just 23 in early 2016.

Andy’s family had no inkling that he was suffering or struggling to the extent that he would do this and, as a result, looked deeper into male suicide and men’s mental health.

They soon discovered that male suicide is the biggest killer of men under 54, with male mental health surrounded by well-ingrained cultural stigma in the UK.

Find out more at https://andysmanclub.co.uk/