Reading supporters will have the chance to engage with a nationwide men’s mental health organisation this weekend as Andy’s Man Club visits the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
The event coincides with International Men’s Day, marked on 19 November, and Men’s Mental Health Month, with the club encouraging fans to speak openly about mental wellbeing ahead of Saturday’s League One fixture against Rotherham United.
Addressing Stigma Around Men’s Mental Health
Andy’s Man Club was founded in 2016 following the death of 23-year-old Andrew Roberts, whose family had been unaware of the extent of his struggles. In the aftermath, his mother Elaine Roberts and brother-in-law Luke Ambler set out to explore the scale of men’s mental health issues in the UK.
They discovered that suicide is the leading cause of death for men under the age of 54, with stigma and cultural barriers often preventing men from seeking help. Andy’s Man Club was created as a free, peer-to-peer support group where men aged 18 and over can talk openly in a non-clinical, judgment-free space.
The initiative has since grown into a UK-wide network of volunteer-led groups, many of whose facilitators first joined as participants themselves.
Supporters Invited to Drop In
Andy Barton, Area Lead for the West Country and South Wales, will host a drop-in session between 12:30 and 14:45 on Saturday. The event will take place in the former Radio 107/Jack FM studio, located between the Sir John Madejski Stand and Club 1871.
Men attending the match are invited to stop by for a conversation or to learn more about the support available.
Warm-Up Shirts to Raise Awareness
Players from both Reading and Rotherham will wear Andy’s Man Club warm-up shirts before kick-off, with the fixture expected to attract the club’s largest home attendance of the season.
The club says the initiative forms part of its wider effort to promote mental health awareness and support within the local community.
