Giving men a safe space to talk about their mental health
As World Mental Health Day 2026 approaches on 10th October, Purbeck Insurance Services, the provider of personal guarantee insurance to small business owners, has confirmed it has raised £9,139.38 for #ANDYSMANCLUB[i] – a charity set up to offer a safe outlet for men who are suffering from mental health problems. Every time a Personal Guarantee Insurance policy is sold or renewed, Purbeck donates £5 to the charity. At #ANDYSMANCLUB groups across the UK, men aged 18 and above can speak openly about their mental health in a judgment-free, non-clinical environment.
Nick Linacre, Claims Director for Purbeck Insurance Services, said: “#ANDYSMANCLUB is a charity that is very close to our hearts at Purbeck. The fact that over a third of personal guarantee backed business loans we support are for working capital to basically ‘keep the lights on’ says a lot about the strain business owners are under right now. We recognise that these pressures can sometimes mount very quickly, at times leaving company directors feeling overburdened and helpless. Purbeck goes a long way to try and ensure the health of the business is maintained, but we also wanted to go a step further to look after the health of the people behind these businesses.
“The practical support we provide to owners and directors of small businesses when they are in financial distress can help alleviate the emotional consequences of business failure. In 60% of cases, where a client has notified us of financial distress early enough, our intervention and support actually helps prevent a business from becoming insolvent. However, we also know how devastating it can be to lose a business and many men find it difficult opening up about their mental health challenges. It therefore made perfect sense to align ourselves with an organisation that provides free emotional support to men, whatever the situation.
“By committing a donation for every policy sold and renewed, which helps to fund free weekly support groups for men across the UK, our customers are also not only protecting themselves from the risks of a personal guarantee, but helping ensure more men have access to a safe space to talk.
ANDYSMANCLUB takes its name from Andrew Roberts, a man who sadly took his own life aged 23 in early 2016. Andy’s family had no inkling that he was suffering or struggling to the extent that he would do this, and as a result looked deeper into male suicide and men’s mental health. They soon discovered that male suicide is the biggest killer of men under 54, with male mental health surrounded by well-ingrained cultural stigma in the UK.
Elaine Roberts and Luke Ambler are Andy’s Mum and Brother-in-Law, together they came up with the idea of ANDYSMANCLUB, a group where men aged 18 and above can speak openly about their mental health in a judgment-free, non-clinical environment.
Groups now operate nationwide and are completely volunteer-led, with all group facilitators having first interacted with ANDYSMANCLUB when they came through the door as a service user.
