As NIVEA MEN joins forces with ANDYSMANCLUB, a Pride of Britain honour and one million group attendances highlight the importance of giving men somewhere to talk when life gets difficult.
Ask someone how they are and the answer often arrives before the question has even finished. “Fine.” It keeps the conversation moving, avoids any awkwardness and tells you remarkably little about what might actually be going on.
For men who struggle to talk about their mental health, that familiar exchange can become something of a dead end. Finding the words is difficult enough. Finding somewhere you feel comfortable saying them can be another challenge altogether.
That is the thinking behind a new partnership between NIVEA MEN and men’s mental health charity ANDYSMANCLUB, which aims to bring everyday self-care and open conversation closer together.
The message is simple: looking after yourself should involve more than the things you can see in the mirror.
But the most interesting part of this collaboration isn’t the pairing of a familiar grooming brand with a mental health charity. It’s the community of men already turning up, week after week, because they’ve discovered the value of having somewhere to talk.
One Million Attendances and Thousands of Conversations
ANDYSMANCLUB has reached a significant milestone, recording one million attendances across its peer-support groups.
That doesn’t mean one million different men have used the service. Attendances measure visits rather than individual participants. Nevertheless, it’s a substantial figure that reflects the scale of conversations taking place through the charity’s network.
According to ANDYSMANCLUB, more than 370 groups are available each week, attracting over 7,000 weekly attendees and supported by more than 3,500 volunteers.
The groups are free, operating across the UK and online, and provide somewhere men can speak openly, listen to others and share experiences without judgement.
There is something important about that simplicity.
Not every difficult period comes with a neat explanation. Sometimes people know something isn’t right long before they can properly explain what it is. Having somewhere to talk without being expected to arrive with all the answers can make the prospect of opening up less daunting.
From Personal Loss to Pride of Britain Recognition
The partnership arrives alongside another significant moment for ANDYSMANCLUB.
Its founders, Luke Ambler and Elaine Roberts, are being recognised with a Pride of Britain Special Recognition Award, acknowledging the impact of a charity that emerged from profound personal loss.
What began as a small group of men gathering to talk has developed into a nationwide peer-support community challenging the stigma surrounding men’s mental health.
The award recognises a remarkable journey, but the figures reveal something equally important about the people who have helped sustain it.
Thousands of volunteers are giving their time to create spaces where men can find support through conversation. That commitment is central to a charity built around the belief that nobody should feel they have to face difficult times alone.
Lucas Whitehead, Head of Partnerships at ANDYSMANCLUB, said: “At ANDYSMANCLUB, we see the difference a conversation can make. Our groups give men a space to talk, listen and know they’re not alone. Partnering with NIVEA MEN gives us another opportunity to spread the message that looking after yourself matters, and that #ITSOKAYTOTALK.
The Pride of Britain recognition is a special moment for everyone who makes our groups what they are. Together, we want to reach more men and remind them that tomorrow can be better than today”
Why NIVEA MEN Is Bringing Self-Care Into the Conversation
For NIVEA MEN, the partnership offers an opportunity to broaden the familiar idea of looking after yourself.
Personal care is generally associated with routines: the things people do each morning, the products they use and the small habits that become part of everyday life.
Mental wellbeing doesn’t always fit quite so comfortably into a routine.
The collaboration aims to encourage men to give their emotional wellbeing similar consideration, whether that means recognising when they’re struggling, checking in properly with a friend or knowing where to turn when they need support.
Andrew Rawle, Marketing Director at NIVEA, says the intention is to help men feel more comfortable talking openly while raising awareness of the support available.
The partnership focuses on encouraging conversations and making men more aware of ANDYSMANCLUB’s work. The information supplied about the collaboration does not detail specific new support services or funding commitments.
That distinction matters. Raising awareness is valuable, but knowing that a conversation is encouraged is only part of the equation. Having somewhere to take that conversation is what makes the message practical.
Making It Easier to Say Something Other Than ‘Fine’
There is no universal way to begin a difficult conversation. Some men might find it easier to speak to a friend. Others may feel more comfortable talking among people who understand what it’s like to struggle.
ANDYSMANCLUB’s free peer-support groups offer one place to start, whether someone prefers attending in person or joining online.
The new partnership cannot guarantee that opening up will suddenly become easy. What it can do is help put the invitation in front of more men and direct them towards an established support network.
And perhaps that’s where the connection between care and conversation makes the most sense.
Looking after yourself sometimes means recognising that you don’t have to manage everything on your own. Looking after somebody else can be as straightforward as making time to listen when the answer to “How are you?” turns out to be more complicated than expected.
The message at the centre of the partnership is #ITSOKAYTOTALK.
For more information about the NIVEA MEN partnership with ANDYSMANCLUB, visit andysmanclub.co.uk/amc-niveamen.
