MAN UP Gloucestershire comes to Cheltenham

MAN UP Gloucestershire is coming to Cheltenham on tuesday at the GL3 Community Hub. The group aim to reduce male suicide rates in Gloucestershire.

MAN UP call themselves a community of peer support where men over 18 can come to have a chat and enjoy safe community where they can share what's on their mind.

The group is a community of men who believe offering men a community of support will encourage them speak up about their mental health and connect with others.

A group representative said: ' MAN UP Gloucestershire is a peer to peer support group based in the GL3 Community Hub in Churchdown. We offer men throughout the county a safe space where they can come once a week (every Tuesday 19:30 - 21:00) to have a cuppa and talk about any issues that may be on their minds.'

'It doesn't matter if someone has had a bad week or if they may be going through a real rough patch in their lives, everyone is an equal once they step through the door and we can begin a process of getting men to talk about their problems connect with individuals who may be in a similar position.'

A Government survey found that 'roughly 69 people per year in Gloucestershire die by suicide.' These figures continue to rise. In the UK, suicide rates reached their highest since 2002 in 2019, with men making up three quarters of these suicides. The World Health Organisation also reported in 2019 that 'males are four times more likely to die from suicide than females.'

These statistics show the desperate need for groups like MAN UP in local communities who offer this support and community.