UK male suicide rate the highest in Northeast, Yorkshire and Humber regions

TransUnion, a global information and insights company and one of the UK's leading credit reference agencies, has announced its partnership with Andy's Man Club, a charity that works to eliminate the stigma around mental health by creating a judgement-free confidential space where men can be open about their challenges.

This is particularly important in the Northeast and Yorkshire and Humber regions, where the suicide rate was higher between 2020 and 2022 than in anywhere else in the UK.

Andy's Man Club was chosen by the vast majority of the TransUnion UK team, who were given the opportunity to vote for a charity that the business would support for the next 12 months.

Co-founded by Luke Ambler after his brother-in-law Andy Roberts died by suicide aged 23 in 2016, Andy's Man Club offers men of all ages a judgement-free, non-clinical environment of free-to-attend peer-to-peer support groups. Groups led by more than 1,600 trained facilitators are attended by more than 4,500 men across the UK, with more groups starting up each week.

"Death by suicide is the biggest killer of men under 54 in the UK, with male mental health surrounded by deeply ingrained cultural stigma,"

said Luke Ambler, co-founder of Andy's Man Club.

"As Andy's family, we had no idea of his mental health struggles, and we wanted to help other men who may feel that they have nobody to talk to, or they don't know where to get the right kind of support. We've built a network across the country, and we're looking forward to expanding it to help even more men in the future."

"Andy's Man Club is particularly close to our hearts, as one of our team members is a facilitator for the organisation and has shared the powerful and positive impact that it has had on his own life,"

said James Robinson, Managing Director of Consumer Interactive at TransUnion UK.

"With so many people across our Leeds and London offices having voted to support its work, we're all looking forward to building our relationship with the team and doing all we can to raise awareness about its work, and funds to support such a worthy cause."

Kaushik Gopalan, TransUnion's Chief Human Resources Officer, added:

"TransUnion UK employees have three paid leave days each year to spend on volunteering. These create a great opportunity for team members to raise awareness – and funds – by participating in the 26-mile Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge on 16 May 2024. We're proud to say that more than 100 people have already signed up for the event, with many others planning other ways to support their colleagues and the cause. At TransUnion, we remain committed to prioritising the well-being of our employees. Mental health is a fundamental part of overall well-being, and we believe it's important to continue encouraging education, normalising conversation and building awareness for mental health and wellness in the workplace all year long."