A men's suicide prevention charity that has grown rapidly throughout the UK is set to have a base at an iconic Barrow venue.

Andy Man's Club (AMC) will be coming to Holker Street, the home of Barrow AFC, from February 12.

The club is free to attend with peer-to-peer support groups across the UK and online.

The club is named after Andrew Roberts who took his own life in 2016 at age 23.

It started with just nine men meeting in Halifax, West Yorkshire, three months after Andy's death, however has now grown to well over 150 clubs - with new ones opening regularly.

Barrow has one of the highest rates of suicide in the country according to the ONS (Office of National Statistics) recorded suicide data for England and Wales.

The data shows that across the 2020-22 period, Barrow was fourth highest with 17.2 deaths per 100,000 of the population, in comparison to the country's average of 10.5.

The figures show, that within the 2020-22 period, 30 people in Barrow died by suicide.

The Mail: The guys at Holker Street making in the ADC signRachel Warburton, events manager at Barrow AFC, said: "I contacted Andy's Man Club earlier this year to inquire whether Barrow AFC could be a host venue for an AMC.

"I saw that they had other clubs in Cumbria and I knew the men of Barrow in Furness would certainly benefit from such a support group. Unfortunately, at the time of my inquiry they had no plans for a club in Barrow.

"Some months later I was contacted by Shaun Hannaway, a local resident and AMC facilitator, to ask if Barrow AFC would promote the new AMC opening in Barrow.

"I was delighted to hear that they had decided to open launch a support group here in Barrow and offered the use of our stadium to facilitate the sessions. 

"Men's mental health is such a cause for concern locally and the Club will do it's utmost to support our fans and community."

To create the Barrow AMC, 12 local men gave up their free time and travelled to ADC Workington branch weekly to complete training as facilitators.

The charity aims to end the stigma surrounding men’s mental health and help men through the power of conversation.

Any man over 18 in the community is welcome, regardless of background, beliefs or where you work. The club is designed to be a safe and welcoming place for guys to vent.