ANDYSMANCLUB has been announced as ABP Southampton’s Charity of the year for 2024. The Charity is a UK-wide charity offering a free peer-to-peer support group that provides a place for men to come together in a safe and open environment to talk about the issues or problems they have faced or are facing.

Each year, ABP Southampton supports a single charity through its Charity of the Year initiative, and in the recent past, it has supported Wet Wheels, Southampton Sight, Different Strokes and Young Lives vs Cancer. Employees nominate the Charity of the year, and then all employees vote for their preferred Charity. This year ANDYSMANCLUB received the most votes.

ANDYSMANCLUB recently met with employees at ABP Southampton and provided further insight into the Charity’s important work.

Jacob Littlewood, ANDYSMANCLUB Southampton Club Lead Facilitator, said: “We are delighted to be selected as ABP Southampton’s Charity of the Year. It was fantastic to hear that the Charity engaged and inspired the employees at a recent presentation. I look forward to working with the team at ABP as we raise as much as possible for ANDYSMANCLUB. The Charity is a safe environment for men to talk with people who may have shared experiences. The ultimate goal of the Charity is to prevent male suicide; with over 170 clubs across the UK, the Charity is proud of its work in raising awareness of #itsOKtotalk.”

The Charity is running a new campaign this year – Brew and Chat – with the idea of organisations in the UK signing up to have a Brew and Chat throughout March. The campaign aims to encourage people to make time for each other in any environment, have a break, play cards, and simply chat.

Alastair Welch, ABP Regional Director, said: “There is a real stigma around male mental health, and not being able to talk to friends or family is a barrier for some people. With male suicide being one of the UK biggest killers of men, the idea of a colleague or friend bottling up issues and having poor mental health is a concern for all of us. This Charity benefits families, and it is great that ANDYSMANCLUB offers a free service for those who cannot talk to people close to them.”

ABP Southampton will be working closely with the charity this year and already has three charity events planned, including a quiz night at one of its cruise terminals, employee sponsorship for those running at the Southampton Marathon and a cycle event around the Isle of Wight.