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Rotary shows support for Andy's Man Club Ilkley

Friday, 12 September 2025 12:13

[L-R] Tony Lewis (Facilitator), Peter Mate (Ilkley Wharfedale Rotary Club), Nick Hockney (Lead Facilitator) and Richard Hunter-Rowe (Facilitator)

The Rotary Club of Ilkley Wharfedale has given enthusiastic and unanimous support to the recent launch of Andy’s Man Club in Ilkley.

The group launched in July in central Ilkley, running every Monday evening between 7pm and 9pm at Abbeyfield Grove House on Riddings Road, and supporting men from across the district.

Following extensive local publicity, the group has flourished from the start reflecting a range of issues from distress to mental health and anxiety, bereavement, loss, and despair. The aim of the Club is to provide men with a safe space where they feel comfortable to talk and open up about their experiences in a room free of judgment.

The Rotary grant of £200 in M&S vouchers will cover refreshments and biscuits for attendees in the initial months.

A spokesperson for Andy’s Man Club Ilkley said:

"It is not unusual for men to find the first step into the Club to be challenging. Our facilitators have all been in the same position and the pre-meeting coffee and biscuits are a really important part of what we do.

"We fully appreciate the support of Rotary in ensuring that experience is as good as can be achieved.

"The club has had enormous support from the community in Ilkley but we also know we are only scratching at the surface of those who could benefit by attending. It is a safe space for men to talk about whatever is on their mind and causing them a storm. It is powerful and it works.

"We firmly believe in the power of talking and that #ItsOkayToTalk."

With over 300 groups in the UK that all meet at 7pm on Mondays, excluding bank holidays, locally there are also groups in Skipton, Keighley and Baildon. Further details are available at andysmanclub.co.uk

The Ilkley group's Facebook page is www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577613431118

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