Men’s mental health support group Andy’s Man Club is on the lookout for a second venue in Peterborough.

The organisation currently operates from the Hodgson Centre in Werrington, offering a safe space for all men over the age of 18 to share and receive support for any struggles they are going through in their life.

In the words of Andy’s Man Club themselves, “we are not there to give advice but we are there to listen.”

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.

The hope is to find a new venue for people who perhaps can’t get to Werrington and to stop existing groups becoming too large with over 40 people in attendance.

Midlands Area Lead Chris McMinn said: “We are in a position now where there are so many guys coming through the door that it’s long overdue that we need a second club in the city.

“We are under no illusion there is a need for it. The stats speak for themselves and we are glad to be offering the support to as many people as we can.

“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.

“We will never turn people away but the Hodgson Community Centre does have a capacity and we want to keep control of the group sizes. It can be really daunting coming for the first time- we want to remove barriers for people- and that could be one of them.

“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.”

Among the requirements for a new space are:

- Space to accommodate at least 40 people (preferably with room for growth)

- No religious or political affiliation

- No venues with an open bar

- Available on Mondays between 6:15pm and 9:15pm

- Free of charge

If you can help, get in touch via email [email protected].

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.