Andy's Man Club Represent at the Men's Health Coffee Morning

Men's health coffee morning at Castleton Health Centre was a success. Plenty of men were prepared to talk to us about @andysmanclubol and men's mental health. #itsokaytotalk pic.twitter.com/3KerXMfTDt

— Matt Tuckey (@matthewtuckey) June 2, 2018

Today I volunteered for Andy's Man Club at the Men's Health Coffee Morning, held at Castleton Health Centre in Rochdale.

The health centre, a large GP surgery with meeting spaces, held various stalls fronted by a number of different health charities and organisations. AMC was one of them, offering advice on how men can make the first steps towards visiting a group and receiving support with depression.

The morning started off quietly, where we were given a small doctor's room with plenty of space for flyers and merchandise. People made their way down the corridor checking out the different stalls, and eventually they'd make their way to us.

We saw a range of people drop in- those with seemingly no problems at all, who were merely curious and wanted a chat, through to people who definitely needed the kind of support AMC offers. There were some heart-wrenching stories, but stories that were definitely better to be told than to be harboured inside. I expect a few of the men we saw will drop into the weekly Monday session. There were even other organisations prepared to help out, perhaps with distributing flyers or with room space on a Monday night for potential new groups. One idea being thrown around was a charity rugby match between AMC and another health organisation.

If you think you could benefit from talking about your problems, or you know someone who might, take a look at the website for your nearest AMC group.