Yorkshire-based integrated agency, The Bigger Boat, has named men’s mental health charity and peer support network ANDYSMANCLUB as its charity of the year, gifting it with a brand new website worth £20,000 in the process.
The news could hardly have come at a better time for the charity, which has seen a 70 per cent uplift in attendance at its 100 meeting venues nationwide since the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020.
The initial spike was undoubtedly a consequence of the UK lockdown, which saw loneliness and isolation peak as the option for face-to-face support ground to a halt. The ANDYSMANCLUB website offered a vital alternative for many men who were struggling, but with rocketing numbers seeking support it regularly crashed, leaving people with limited means through which to access the information needed to reach out for help.
Lockdown may have ended, but with a creaking economy, soaring prices and uncertainty caused by wars and the ongoing lurking presence of Covid it’s a certainty that the website will continue to attract plenty of visitors, although the charity has no intention of ending the face-to-face support that is now possible again, and The Bigger Boat was inspired to help.
The Bigger Boat team was tasked with the brief to develop a website which would direct men in need, or family members hoping to assist a loved one, to access support via their nearest groups as quickly and easily as possible.
Andy McCaul, director at The Bigger Boat, said: “Having friends of the business that worked for the organisation and being a company that’s already passionate about the importance of mental health, we invited ANDYSMANCLUB to speak to the team about men’s mental health and to tell us more about the support that the group provides. It became apparent that the charity was in desperate need of a new website if it was to continue expanding its reach and delivering maximum benefit to those needing a listening ear during times of struggle.
“We’re proud to have now launched the site and played a small part in helping ANDYSMANCLUB to continue delivering its vital work — not only supporting men through times of difficulty, but also changing attitudes among a demographic that’s not famed for its ability to speak openly about their battles. Through the new website, we hope to enable more people to reach out for help and, hopefully, save lives.”
Lucas Whitehead, marketing manager, from ANDYSMANCLUB, said: “The increase in men coming forward to access our support networks is as heartening as it is concerning. The fact that men are beginning to open up about their struggles is a really positive sign — and represents a shift that will, without a doubt, save many lives. With a website that’s now capable of directing men to their nearest group in times of difficulty, we can be sure to do our very best in supporting people living through their hardest times, preventing families from suffering the heart wrenching losses that so many of us have experienced.”
ANDYSMANCLUB is a UK-wide peer support network which runs talking groups for men who are experiencing emotional and mental health struggles. Spreading the poignant message that “it’s okay to talk,” the group launched in 2016 with just nine attendees. By 2020, 1,000 men were attending sessions nationwide and, following the pandemic, the gatherings now regularly attract over 1,700 attendees per week.
