As part of its ongoing drive for its greeting card designs to be as inclusive as possible, and forge important communication links for all reasons, Hallmark reached out to Andy’s Man Club, the peer-to-peer support group charity for men to collaborate on a collection which could provide a lifeline to those suffering from mental health issues, including those at risk of taking their own life.
Suicide is now the biggest killer of men under 45 and one of aims of Andy’s Man Club (AMC) is to reduce the male suicide rate in the UK by offering help and support to those in need. AMC was formed in early 2016 by Halifax rugby league player Luke Ambler after his brother-in-law, Andy Roberts took his own life, aged only 23. The group, which now has clubs across the UK, aims to raise awareness of mental health issues among young men and encourage men to discuss their issues (#ITSOKAYTOTALK).
Hallmark’s collaboration with AMC in the form of brand new contemporary greeting card range will not only raise awareness of AMC, but also provide tangible support to help stave off the feeling of loneliness that has increased as a result of the pandemic.
“The statistics on male suicide in the UK are shockingly high, and while we already offer a range of cards which offer support, we were aware that there needed to be greater diversity in offering products aimed at male consumers,” Emma Bragg, Hallmark UK/ROI’s writing director explained to PG Buzz. Having heard about the great work being done by AMC Hallmark approached the charity with the idea to collaborate on a male mental health-themed greeting card collection keen for their input on the messaging. “It was vital that we got the tone of voice just right due to the sensitive nature and the specific messages we wanted to convey, but also felt it was important to keep the cards as open as possible so they could be sent for any reason, or no reason at all, to offer support and encouragement to a friend who may need it,” added Emma.
AMC was very receptive to Hallmark’s idea and are delighted with the resultant card range. As Andrew Greenway, Andy’s Man Club project development champion explained that the organisation is “always on the lookout for innovative ways to reach men. A greeting card sent to a man suffering from loneliness, depression, anxiety or any mental health related disorder could potentially be uplifting and could be the lifeline needed to support any man.”
The back of the cards include details about Andy’s Man Club, including the website address which hosts information about where the organisation currently has groups.
AMC’s home page shares the tragic tale of its namesake and the ‘why’ of the organisation…
‘Andy Roberts was loving and doting father, son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend. He was an all round top guy, one of the truly nicest people.
His love for his daughter was inspirational to see and the way he looked at her and idolised her was a blessing. Sadly and tragically without any warning Andrew, at 23 years old, was taken away from all his family and friends by suicide.
On average one man every two hours takes his life in the UK. It’s often said a factor is that men don’t talk. That’s why we were born to break down these stigmas. At ANDYSMANCLUB you don’t have to be suicidal or have a mental health problem, we just want to get men talking.’
The Hallmark x AMC range is available to preorder now and will be generally available from June.
Top: A few of the designs in the new range, using humour to get across a serious message of support.
