Network Rail’s East Coast route has teamed up with leading suicide prevention charity, Andy’s Man Club, to raise awareness of men’s mental health, and encourage those struggling to seek support.
On Tuesday, 27 June, volunteers from Andy’s Man Club, Network Rail and industry partners held an event at King’s Cross railway station.
Representatives spent the day on the concourse, interacting with passengers and promoting the in-person and online guidance which is available from the charity.
Andy’s Man Club takes its name from Andrew Roberts, a man who sadly took his own life aged 23. The charity was set up by his family in 2016, to try and prevent other families going through what they had.
The charity provides a safe space for men to talk through issues and gain support at free-to-attend talking groups, which run every Monday at 19:00
The charity now has groups at over 130 locations across England, Scotland and Wales, as well as online. The service is used on a weekly basis by 3000 men and 900 volunteers.
The station was also lit up orange, the colour of Andy’s Man Club, to further spread the message, and a message highlighting the support available was displayed on the main departure screens.
Paul Rutter, Route Director for Network Rail’s East Coast route, said: “It’s so important that we continue to talk about mental health and make sure that those struggling know that support is available.
“The event at King’s Cross was a great chance to speak and engage with passengers about the good work which the charity does. We’ve worked closely with Andy’s Man Club for a number of years, and they’ve spent time visiting sites on East Coast route, speaking to colleagues and signposting them to where they can access help, which has really made a positive difference for our teams.
Lucas Whitehead, Marketing and Partnerships Champion for Andy’s Man Club, said: “We have now worked alongside Network Rail for over 2 years and their support has been invaluable.
“Our partnership has seen us deliver talks and presentations at office locations and a number of DUs, alongside regular attendance on mental health and wellbeing related online panel events. There is no doubt in our mind that this work has resulted directly in increased attendance at our face-to-face locations, and through our online platform.”
You can find out more about Andy’s Man Club by visiting their website, https://andysmanclub.co.uk/
Photo credit: Network Rail
