'I wouldn't be here without Andy's Man Club'

The charity aims to provide men with a safe space to talk about mental health

Men who have been helped by a suicide prevention charity have gathered at a rugby club to share their experiences.

Doncaster Knights director Sir Ian McGeechan, the former Scotland international and British & Irish Lions player, spoke at the event organised in aid of Andy's Man Club, which provides a forum for men to get together and talk.

Sir Ian was joined by Rob Smith, who became the lead facilitator for the charity's groups in Doncaster after seeking help himself.

Mr Smith said: “Without Andy's Man Club, there’s a real chance I wouldn’t be here today.”

Andy's Man Club was set up in 2016 by Halifax rugby league player Luke Ambler

Andy's Man Club was set up in 2016 by Halifax rugby league player Luke Ambler after his brother-in-law took his own life, and it now has 230 groups across the UK.

The charity aims to provide men with a safe space to talk about their mental health and supports more than 4,500 people.

Mr Smith added: “Growing up, you had to be that strong person, you couldn’t show weakness, so I never spoke about any of my problems.

“The hardest thing is that first step through the door.”

Mr Smith found out about the group online and after his first session, said: "It felt like a weight had lifted off my shoulders. I didn’t talk a lot, but just knowing that I wasn’t on my own in how I was feeling made it all worthwhile.

“I started that first night when there were 10 guys there, last week we had over 100.”

During his keynote speech, Sir Ian discussed the demands, expectations and challenges he faced during the six Lions tours he was involved in as a player and later coach.

He spoke about meeting fans, visiting schools and signing autographs.

“It’s not all about what happens on the pitch, it's about providing lots of support to young lads.”

The event also included a panel discussion on the issues facing men today.

Sixty people attended the event and a donation from each ticket sold will go to support the work of the Doncaster Knights Foundation and Andy's Man Club.

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