Mental health support group Andy's Man Club successful in bid to find second Peterborough location

The men’s mental health support group has been on the search for a second location after a experiencing increased demand in recent weeks for its group at the Hodgson Centre in Werrington.

Midlands Area Lead Chris McMinn said that the group were in a position that such is the amount of men coming through the door that it was ‘long overdue’ for there to be a second club in the city.

The work to find a new club location is complete with a new group beginning at the Orton Child and Family Centre in Herlington on July 6.

The group will meet at 7pm to 9pm every Monday night, excluding bank holidays.

Andy’s Man Club said: “Thank you to Claire and everyone at Barnardos for their amazing support, and we can't wait to welcome you all through the doors.”

The new location has been sought to control group numbers in order to ensure no one feels too daunted to come.

Peterborough’s current club is the oldest in the Midlands area, having started in 2018 but demand has now grown to the point where a second club is required to support more men in the city.

Previously Area Lead Chris said: “Recently, we have had a spike in numbers. It has always been a well-attended club but that has risen in recent weeks and we have in excess of 40 men coming through the door.

"It’s still an ongoing battle for men to talk about their mental health. There is still a stigma there. Times are changing but not as quickly as we would like. That stigma shouldn’t exist and we want people to know that. We are trying to break it and we are seeing a gradual change but it’s not a quick fix.

“People will be amazed if they come through the door and see so many other men who may be going through similar things as them and that is a really encouraging thing for breaking that stigma.”

To find out more about Andy’s Man Club, visit https://andysmanclub.co.uk/.

As well as Peterborough, Andy’s Man Club also has groups in Stamford and Huntingdon.