Andy's Man Club
We worked with Andy’s Man Club to raise awareness of men’s mental health among our employees.
Case Study
Health is important, whether this is physical, or mental. Unfortunately, Mental Health is still a bit of a taboo subject, especially when it comes to men feeling comfortable opening up about their struggles.
At Calisen, we prioritise supporting the well-being of our employees, especially those who work remotely. With around 80% of our workforce being male, we recognise that lone working can be isolating, and we want to ensure that we offer proper support to our people.
One charity which has been making a real difference in how men view mental health is Andy’s Man Club, a suicide prevention charity established in 2016. They provide free in-person support groups across the UK and online, with the aim of ending the stigma around men’s mental health through conversation.
Andy’s Man Club has over 100 free support groups nationwide, held every Monday from 7 pm (excluding Bank Holidays). These groups offer a safe space for men to talk about their struggles with people who understand them, without any pressure to speak if they do not wish to do so.
To raise awareness of the importance of men’s mental health and the significance of talking, we partnered with Andy’s Man Club in 2023, and they gave talks to our employees. In 2024, we plan to continue this partnership and organise more presentations throughout the business to raise awareness of the charity and the importance of #ITSOKTOTALK.
Sean Foster
Data Services Manager
“Since joining Andy’s Man Club, I have realised that I am no longer alone on this journey. I have a band of brothers helping me along the way who are facing the same or similar challenges as I am. I am still struggling but now I know I have a safe place to talk amongst brothers, judgement free, I can handle the struggle better.
It has allowed me to accomplish things that my anxiety would hold me back from. I am proud to say I have been facilitating sessions at Andy’s Man Club for around 4 months now and couldn’t think of anything better to do with my time on a Monday evening.”
Dave Forshaw
Regional Manager
“My first introduction to Andy’s Man Club (AMC) was when Dan Rowe came to speak with our colleagues at Calisen. His story made me appreciate my life more and understand the challenges faced by men my age.
Discussing this topic has been difficult in my 17 years of working at Calisen, especially with our male-dominated field team members. Recently, we presented AMC to our field teams, and I was proud to see the emotional response. I was also surprised to learn about the background and trauma of some of our field team members face on a regular basis.
We have just begun our work with AMC, and we will continue to share our participation, stories, and progress to encourage others to share their stories as well.”