"Something I’ll never forget" - Andy's Man Club founder Luke Ambler on receiving Pride of Britain award

Luke and his co-founder Elaine Roberts were given a special recognition award by Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the annual awards last month.

Andy's Man Club was founded in Halifax by Luke, a former Halifax rugby league player, and Elaine ten years ago and has gone on to help thousands of men with their mental health, spreading into a nationwide organisation.

"It’s genuinely overwhelming," Luke said about the award.

"When we started Andy's Man Club ten years ago, winning awards couldn’t have been further from our minds.

"To stand on that stage with Elaine and receive a Pride of Britain Award was something I’ll never forget. Especially having our families there to experience it with us.

"But I see it as recognition for everyone who’s been part of this journey. The thousands of volunteers, our staff, trustees, supporters and, most importantly, every man who’s had the courage to walk through our doors.

"We’ve built something incredibly special together and I’m just proud to be part of it."

The charity is named in honour of Andy Roberts, Elaine's son and Luke's brother-in-law.

"When we lost Andy in 2016, he was just 23," said Luke. "Like so many families who lose someone to suicide, we were left with so many questions.

"I remember thinking that if Andy had somewhere he felt comfortable talking about whatever he was going through, things might have been different.

"At the time I was playing professional rugby league and running my own business. I had a bit of a platform through rugby and wanted to try to do something positive with it.

"I spoke to Elaine about creating somewhere men could come together, have a brew and talk. Nothing complicated, just men supporting other men.

"On 4 July 2016, nine men walked into a little room in Halifax. I remember being nervous, wondering whether anyone would even turn up!

"But something happened in that room. Men started opening up, listening and realising they weren’t alone. There was a connection that none of us expected.

"The following week more men came, then more again, and it just kept growing.

"We didn’t set out to build a national charity. We just wanted to make sure another family didn’t have to experience what ours had."

Luke says he feels a lot of pride that something originating in Halifax has gone on to help so many people.

"Absolutely, I’m incredibly proud of Halifax and the fact that something which started in one little room here has gone on to reach men right across the country," he said.

"We now have more than 360 groups and around 7,000 men attending each Monday night. That’s pretty unbelievable when you think about where it started.

"But what makes me proudest isn’t the numbers. It’s seeing men who once walked through our doors struggling now volunteering and supporting other men.

"It’s the friendships, the laughter, the conversations and the lives being changed every week.

"We don’t do that for the men. The men in those rooms do that for each other.

"To think it all started here in Halifax makes it even more special."

When asked why he thinks so many men have been able to identify and engage with the concept, Luke said: "I think it’s the simplicity of it. It's also real.

"You don’t need a diagnosis, an appointment or a referral. You don’t have to be at crisis point. You can just turn up, have a brew, listen or talk.

"There’s no judgement, no pressure and nobody trying to fix you.

"I also think there’s something powerful about men supporting other men who have been through their own challenges.

"We’ve worked hard to create an environment where men feel comfortable being themselves. Sometimes that’s talking about really difficult things, sometimes it’s having a laugh and sometimes it’s just listening.

"Men don’t always need someone to give them the answers. Sometimes they just need to know they’re not alone.

"And I think that’s something we’ve all underestimated for far too long."

Luke says he would like there to be even more Andy's Man Club groups in the future.

"But it’s not just about getting bigger. It’s about getting better," he said.

"We’ve grown incredibly quickly over the last ten years and we’ve now got a responsibility to make sure every group is as good as it possibly can be.

"That means investing in our people, supporting our volunteers, strengthening our systems and continuing to learn and develop as an organisation.

"We’re also building some fantastic relationships with businesses, communities, sports clubs and government to help reach men who might never have considered coming to a group.

"Ultimately, the mission hasn’t changed from that very first night in Halifax.

"How do we reach that one man who needs us tonight?

"If we keep asking ourselves that question, I think we’ll continue to make a difference for many years to come."

Receiving the Pride of Britain award was made even more special when it was presented by the Prime Minister, who has also pledged to run next year's Great North Run for the charity.

"It’s absolutely incredible!," said Luke.

"To go from nine men in a room in Halifax to having the Prime Minister presenting us with a Pride of Britain Award and then committing to run the Great North Run for us is pretty surreal.

"Whatever people’s politics, having someone in that position supporting conversations around men’s mental health is a huge opportunity.

"We had nearly 700 people running for Andy's Man Club at the Great North Run this year, so to have the Prime Minister joining us in 2027 is something really special.

"Hopefully it encourages even more men to talk, more people to get involved and more families to understand that support is out there.

"And I’m sure we’ll make him feel very welcome."