Ronnie Byrne

While male suicide rates continue to far exceed the national average, a support group is encouraging men to open up about how they’re truly feeling.

Andy’s Man Club, founded in 2016 and now with more than 90 locations, is a free peer-to-peer support group “for men who have either been through a storm, are currently going through a storm, or have a storm brewing in life”.

The latest data published by Samaritans shows the male suicide rate in the United Kingdom is more than three times higher than the female rate. It also shows the bracket of men aged 45 to 49 has the highest suicide rate in the country, at 23.8 suicides per 100,000 (against a national average of 10 per 100,000). 

The Lincoln branch of Andy’s Man Club meets weekly at the LNER Football Stadium, and has gone from strength to strength since opening, with many men coming through the door each week to speak openly about their feelings in an understanding and non-judgemental arena.

For more information about Andy’s Man Club, visit their website.

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A Miss Great Britain finalist has spoken to The Lincolnite Podcast about the issue of skinny-shaming, and her own efforts to gain weight.

Summer Le Conte, holder of the Miss Boston 2022 title, described the bullying she’d endured throughout her life for being ‘underweight’, and has since set out to gain weight in a healthy way and to share her experience with others.

While Summer initially thought she simply had a fast metabolism, she recognised issues with her food intake, sometimes eating just 800-1,300 calories a day- a number she has since bumped up to 2,600, and combined with a five-days-a-week training regime.

 

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With the Miss Great Britain finals fast approaching, Summer hopes to use her weight-gain experience to inspire others, and to spread the message that gaining weight can be just as healthy as losing weight for some.

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