To mark World Suicide Prevention Day on Tuesday, 10 September, Manchester United and Andy’s Man Club are raising awareness of the free weekly mental health support sessions they run for men in the local community.

Since July, Old Trafford has hosted weekly peer-to-peer support sessions for men over the age of 18. The aim of the sessions is to facilitate open discussions about mental health to help men through the power of conversation.

Andy’s Man Club was set-up in memory of Andy Roberts who sadly died by suicide in 2016. Elaine Roberts, Andy’s mother, and Luke Ambler, Andy’s brother-in-law, helped establish Andy’s Man Club to try and prevent other families from going through the same devastating experience.

The charity aims to end the stigma surrounding men’s mental health and wellbeing, provide a sounding board for men who are struggling, and support suicide prevention. The organisation now has over 200 groups, supporting over 4,800 men nationwide who attend weekly sessions to open-up about their experiences.

Watch this powerful video to hear from Elain and Luke.

Andy Roberts was a passionate Manchester United supporter and inspired his family to follow the club, having handed his nephew Alfie his very first Manchester United shirt and his mother Elaine becoming a supporter after watching the Champions League final with her son in 1999. The Roberts family still follow United in the knowledge that somewhere, Andy will be watching along with them.

The support sessions at Old Trafford have been running every Monday for two hours and will continue to take place each week, apart from bank holidays and any matchdays at Old Trafford that are scheduled for Monday evenings.

Joanna Madyarchyk, head of safeguarding and wellbeing at Manchester United, said: “As a leading cause of death for men in the UK, it’s important to provide opportunities for men to open up and talk about the challenges they face in their lives to address the issue at hand.

“By hosting these weekly sessions at Old Trafford, we want to support powerful conversations that make a genuine difference and help reduce the stigma that surrounds mental health and wellbeing.”

Lucas Whitehead, head of marketing and partnerships at Andy’s Man Club, added: “By working with Manchester United to hold regular sessions we hope to attract more men to attend and share their experiences with other like-minded people. You don’t have to be a Manchester United fan to attend, or even like football at all, the group is open to any man over the age of 18.

“Andy’s Man Club has been on a mission to create judgement-free, confidential spaces where men can be open about the challenges they face with a wider community who can listen, provide support and advise peers on how to approach the storms in their lives.

“It feels fitting to work with Manchester United, the team Andy and his family adore. I am sure together we will help many of those in need of support.”

The Roberts family regularly watch United games together, in the knowledge that, somewhere, Andy will be watching along with them.

Sessions continue to take place on Monday evenings at 7pm in the Salford Bar & Kitchen at Old Trafford, a fully accessible venue. All attendees should enter via the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand entrance where they will be directed to the suite.

Car parking is available on W2 and further information on getting to Old Trafford can be found.

Man Utd and DHL mark partnership extension

Manchester United and DHL, the club’s official logistics partner, have extended their longstanding partnership, which will now run until 2027.

The partnership, which began in 2011, is underpinned by a common purpose to inspire positive change among the global communities that the two organisations serve, and that will continue with the evolution of the ‘A World United’ campaign with fresh objectives under a new rallying cry, ‘United for One Goal’.

The ‘United for One Goal’ campaign harnesses the power of sport and business to help achieve a more socially responsible, sustainable world by recognising fans and local heroes who make a difference in their communities – whether through volunteering time for worthy causes or inspiring positive change through grassroots initiatives.

Worthy nominations – that share the partnership values of sustainability, teamwork, high performance and efficiency – will be entered in the ‘United for One Goal’ recognition programme, with rewards including signed Manchester United merchandise, tickets for games at Old Trafford, and a unique opportunity to play on the famous pitch at the Theatre of Dreams

DHL has been part of Manchester United’s family of partners for 13 years.

Omar Berrada, Chief Executive Officer at Manchester United, said: “We are delighted to continue our longstanding relationship with DHL. We share many years of positive impactful work, and this will continue globally through ‘United for One Goal’.

“The longevity of the partnership is down to our shared values and our ambitions to use our global influence to drive positive change in local communities.”

DHL, the world’s leading express and logistics company, has been part of Manchester United’s family of partners for 13 years and offers a wide range of products and services for the club’s fans across the world.

John Pearson, CEO DHL Express, added: “The shared values of our partnership with Manchester United continue to go from strength to strength – engaging, connecting and inspiring a fan base which is truly global.

“We are so pleased to be continuing the longstanding partnership with Manchester United; in this next phase we will look to combine the global power of both brands to connect people and improve lives whilst delivering a better world.”