Drop-in session is being held on a specially-branded bus
From left, Sean Gill, Zachary McAskill, Kevin Byant with the Andy’s Man Club buses (Image: stagecoach.com)
A specially-branded bus is set to visit Hull, offering local men the chance to step on board for a private chat or a friendly conversation about their mental health, with respected charity Andy’s Man Club. The bus, branded with the charity’s logo and signage, will visit Hull Interchange, Bay 1, from 10am to 3pm on Wednesday, May 6.
Andy’s Man Club offers free-to-attend, peer-to-peer support groups across the UK and online. It wants to end the stigma surrounding men’s mental health and to help men through the power of conversation.
Local bus operator, Stagecoach East Midlands, is a keen supporter of the organisation and, last year, wrapped two of its vehicles, in Hull, with the branding, in the hope that more men will realise that #ITSOKAYTOTALK. The partnership was struck with Sean Gill, regional lead for East of England at Andy’s Man Club.
Sean previously worked as a driver at Stagecoach’s Grimsby depot. He originally picked up a leaflet about Andy’s Man Club in the bus station and from there went on to join Andy’s Man Club and to open a club in Grimsby.
Zachary McAskill, operations director of Stagecoach East Midlands, said: “At Stagecoach, we’re all about supporting the communities we serve, so we hope that local men will want to attend this event in Hull. This initiative is part of our broader commitment to mental-health awareness and ensuring that everyone feels comfortable reaching out for help.
“In Hull, as in all of our service areas, #ITSOKAYTOTALK is a message we want to carry to every corner of our community.” Sean said: “Every conversation we have offers the opportunity to reach that one man who needs to know he’s not alone.
“Andy’s Man Club exists to break the stigma surrounding men’s mental health. With every conversation, every shared story, and every mile our branded buses travel, we push our message further: It’s Okay To Talk.”
To find your nearest club, visit andysmanclub.co.uk
Did you know you can make Hull Live a preferred source of Hull news in Google, which will mean you get more of our breaking news, exclusives, and must-read stories straight away? Here’s more information about what this means and how to do it – you can also do it straight away by clicking here .