In a bid to get more people to join, Andy's Man Club has pulled back the curtain on how its sessions work.

The charity, which works with men to get them to open up about their mental health, first opened the doors to its Barrow branch in February.

Read more: 80 men present at first Andy's Man Club in Barrow | The Mail (nwemail.co.uk)

In its first session, 80 men came through the door with a steady number of participants ever since - but the hope is that further transparency can encourage more men to make the initial leap.

A spokesperson from the charity said: "We know the unknown can be scary, that’s why we’re trying to demystify what happens at our groups - to hopefully make that first step through the doors easier.

"At our groups, there’s no pressure and no judgement - you can take it all at your own pace and, if you don’t feel like talking that session, simply pass our talking ball along."

Read more: Andy's Man Club Barrow celebrates its first month | The Mail (nwemail.co.uk)

The sessions are open to any man aged over 18 with the club meeting at Barrow AFC's The Cross Bar every Monday between 7pm and 9pm.

Explaining how the group meetings work, the charity commented: "You'll be welcomed at the doors by one of our friendly facilitators who'll show you the brew and biscuit situation.

"The groups then have a five question format - the first three are always the same: how's your week been, do you have one positive from the week, and is there anything to get off your chest."

Read more: Barrow barbers get customers talking with Andy's Man Club | The Mail (nwemail.co.uk)

If time allows, a short break will precede the next two questions, which are designed to be more 'funny, inspirational or thought provoking', such as discussing what your favourite sandwich is.

"There's a 'talking ball' that is passed around the group, so if you don't feel ready to speak yet, you can simply pass it along," said the spokesman.