Suicide remains biggest killer of men under 50

MindtheMen, the Glasgow-based peer-to-peer support group that aims to reduce male suicide, is celebrating its third birthday with the opening of its third club in the city.

A new club for the West End will open on Monday (7 March) at Hillhead Sports Club on Hughenden Road and will be free of charge for attendees. MindtheMen has another club near Cowcaddens subway station at Dundasvale Community Hall and an online club that meets via Zoom.

MindtheMen was started in 2019 in memory of Grant Macdonald who lost his life to suicide the previous year. The clubs are safe places where men, over the age of 18, are able to talk about their challenges with other men in a non-clinical setting.

All MindtheMen facilitators have undertaken suicide awareness training.

Gary Macdonald, co-founder of MindtheMen, said: “It is really great to see MindtheMen grow to having three clubs in three years. We started in the West end but had to move locations during the pandemic, so it’s great to be back. We are extremely grateful to the team at Hillhead Sports Club and Hillhead Jordanhill RFC for providing this venue.

“Suicide remains the biggest killer of men under 50 in Scotland, but we know we can make a real difference by giving men a safe place to talk openly about how they are feeling. When people come to MindtheMen they soon realise there are other options, they are not alone and that others feel the way they do.

“That first step of attending the club can be daunting, but all new attendees are made to feel very welcome by our facilitators and long-standing members.

“Outside of our regular Monday nights, we have also been able to provide our members with access to various activities such as CBT courses, ten pin bowling, foot-golf, yoga, cycling, hill walking, art therapy, go karting, football tournaments, tennis and even pizza making classes.”