Where do men start with mental health support?
The two easiest starting points for men in the UK are CALM's helpline on 0800 58 58 58, open 5pm to midnight every day, and Andy's Man Club, a free talking group that runs every Monday at 7pm with no referral and no sign-up. Both were built because men tend not to use conventional services.
Why men's services are separate
Roughly three in four suicides in the UK are men. Most of those men never contacted a mental health service. The services below exist because the usual routes weren't reaching them — not because men need something softer.
Talking, but not in a clinic
- Andy's Man Club — Monday 7pm, free, walk in, pass on any question you want.
- Talk Club — opens with 'how are you, out of ten?'
- Tough Enough To Care — peer groups and a text line.
Doing something, with talking as a side effect
- Men's Sheds — a workshop, a bench and other blokes.
- MAN v FAT Football — six-a-side where weight loss scores goals.
- parkrun — free, Saturdays, walk it if you like.
If the problem is money, kids or grief
A lot of what looks like depression in men is a fixable problem underneath. StepChange for debt, Families Need Fathers and Dad.info for contact and separation, Cruse and SOBS for bereavement. Dealing with the cause is mental health support.
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Last checked: September 2026