A CAR recycling company in Hampshire is supporting a suicide prevention charity to help reduce the stigma surrounding men’s mental health.
Silverlake Automotive Recycling, in Shedfield, is backing Andy’s Man Club through its charity scheme UDonateacar.com.
Representatives from Andy’s Man Club Southampton and Eastleigh groups visited the business in Botley Road to talk about what they do and watch Eastleigh Football Club play Dorking Wanderers at the Eastleigh FC Silverlake Stadium.
The visitors were also given a tour of Silverlake’s facilities including its 'upickit' yard where the public can come and dismantle parts from old cars.
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Allen Prebble, managing director at Silverlake, said: “Men experience disproportionately high-rates of suicide, with death by suicide being the biggest killer of men under the age of 50 in the UK. Mental illness affects people of every gender but poor mental health outcomes for men are often driven by ‘toxic masculinity’ where men are portrayed or expected to be strong and silent.
“For many men, admitting to a mental health challenge feels like showing weakness and they fear being judged by their friends, family and employers. Andy’s Man Club encourages men to talk and provides a vital service to support men’s mental health. Staff feedback from the presentations they gave at Silverlake was hugely positive. We are proud to be able to raise funds for Andy’s Man Club and it was a real pleasure to have them as our guests at Eastleigh Football Club.”
Darren Edwards, project development champion at Andy’s Man Club, said: “The grant we received from Global’s Make Some Noise, supported by Silverlake’s UDonateacar.com fundraising, helps us to keep our doors open and provide a safe space for men to come and talk and we are incredibly grateful.
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“It was great for our Eastleigh and Southampton teams to have a day out as guests of Silverlake and very much appreciated – the site tour was a real eye-opener into automotive recycling. I also welcomed the opportunity to run three presentations for Silverlake’s staff to ensure everyone heard our message that ‘It’s okay to talk’.”
The charity offers free peer-to-peer groups at more than 150 locations across the UK every Monday from 7pm to 9pm. The groups give men aged over 18 the chance to come together in a safe and open environment to talk about any issues they are facing, support each other and lighten the load.
More than 3,700 members attend regularly. The charity also delivers talks to organisations to raise awareness of men’s mental health and how to access various support available.
For more information go to andysmanclub.co.uk/. And for more information on Silverlake’s charity scheme go to udonateacar.com/about.
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