Andy’s Man Club is now one of the UK’s fastest-growing mental health organisations and was created in 2016 after the death of 23-year-old Andrew Roberts.
His mum, Elaine, and brother-in-law, Luke Ambler, set it up after learning just how severe the male suicide crisis is in the UK, and how many men still feel unable to speak about their mental health.
What began as nine men meeting in a small room in Halifax has since developed into a volunteer-led network of more than 300 groups across the country. One of those is now based at Parkfields Community Centre in Mold.
The Mold group opened on November 17 and runs every Monday from 7pm to 9pm, with doors opening at 6.30pm so men can grab a drink and settle in. Any man aged 18 or over can attend – no referral, booking or pressure.
Their first night saw 29 local men walk in, a turnout that volunteer facilitator Sam Curdy said “absolutely blew them away” and showed how needed the group is in Mold.
Sam said: “Andy’s Man Club is vital because it genuinely saves lives. I can say that personally, because the club changed my life and, honestly, helped save it.”
He first attended in 2023 after years of feeling misunderstood growing up with undiagnosed ADHD and autism. He said he was often seen as the “naughty kid” and later struggled with depression, unstable relationships and periods of self-harm. The pressure of trying to prove wrong the “experts” who told him he’d never achieve anything, he said, took a toll.
It took him months to work up the courage to walk through the door of his first meeting but when he did, everything shifted.
“Once I walked in, it felt like the first proper safe space I’d ever had,” he said. “I could talk, be myself, and actually get stuff off my chest.”
He now helps run the Mold group and has supported others across the region.
“Every Monday I’m buzzing to open the doors in our new club in Mold and welcome that one lad who needs it most,” he added.
With male suicide still the leading cause of death for men under 54, local volunteers say the aim in Mold is simple: to make sure no man feels he has to struggle alone.
Andy’s Man Club Mold meets every Monday (except bank holidays) at Parkfields Community Centre, Mold, from 7pm–9pm. Any man aged 18+ is welcome.