A NEW group aimed at giving men a safe space to talk has launched in Barrow.
One of the local lead facilitators for suicide prevention charity Andy's Man Club called the first night in the town a 'monumental occasion' as 80 men turned up.
Andy's Man Club offers free-to-attend peer-to-peer support groups across the UK under the mantra of 'it's okay to talk.'
The charity is named after Andrew Roberts, who took his own life aged 23 in 2016. Shortly after this his mother and brother-in-law came up with the idea of a non-clinical support group for men to share their mental health under the moniker Andy's Man Club.
This led to the first session in Halifax, West Yorkshire, with nine men in attendance.
Since then groups have blossomed across the UK, with the group opening its doors as the 177th club on Monday, February 12 at The Cross Bar, Barrow AFC.
Ali Ives, who is a manager at BAE and one of the two lead facilitators, called the evening a 'monumental occasion.' 14 facilitators run the event, all of whom have received training and attended other Andy's Man Clubs.
He said: "The fact that we got 80 people through the door was absolutely breathtaking, an amazing experience."
When asked why he thought so many people attended, he said: "We promoted ourselves in some strategic places around town. We had people outside with flyers."
The team even lit up Barrow Town Hall to encourage men to attend the first evening on Monday.
READ MORE: Andy's Man Club set to come to Barrow AFC's Holker Street next year
Ali said that at one point three different groups were pushing for an Andy's Man Club in Barrow. The Barrow and Furness MP Simon Fell was one of the people pushing for a club and he was present for the inaugural evening. Once the groups found out about each other's campaigns they merged to get the first evening across the line.
He said that some of the men in attendance, including veterans, had gone from being isolated to having a group to share their experiences with.
"We ultimately want to provide a safe space where men can talk about their emotions. The byproduct of this is preventing people from taking their own lives," Ali said.
There will now be an Andy's Man Club at The Cross Bar every Monday from 7pm until 9pm in the evening apart from bank holidays.
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