A Birmingham bar is taking a pioneering step to support men's wellbeing by launching dedicated mental health nights in collaboration with a national charity.
Bar and charity join forces to get men talking
AutoBrew, an independent bar located in the city's Custard Factory, has announced a partnership with the charity Talk Club. The initiative is designed to improve men's 'mental fitness' by creating a regular, friendly space for open conversation.
The move comes in response to stark statistics highlighting a crisis in male mental health. A report from the Office for National Statistics in October revealed that men are three times more likely to die by suicide than women.
How the mental fitness nights will work
The first Talk Club session at AutoBrew is scheduled for Tuesday, January 20 at 7.30pm. The events will then continue on the first and third Tuesday of each month.
Each session will begin with a simple but powerful question: asking attendees to rate how they feel on a scale of one to ten. The conversation builds from that starting point, providing a structured yet open forum for discussion.
Recognising that January can be a particularly difficult month, the bar will cater to those participating in Dry January. Hot beverages and a range of non-alcoholic alternatives will be available alongside the bar's usual offering, which includes self-pour pints.
Creating an inclusive and vital social space
Sean Longe, the owner of AutoBrew, explained the reasoning behind hosting the events. "We thought January would be a great time to start," he told BirminghamLive. "A lot of people are staying inside more and not going out to socialise or speak to others."
He emphasised the role of modern bars as inclusive social spaces. "Bars are always there for the public as a social space, especially how inclusive most have become by offering alternatives to alcohol."
"January is a hard time for a lot of people, so we thought we would extend a hand at AutoBrew," Longe added. The goal is to offer a friendly environment where men can build resilience by understanding and articulating their feelings.
This marks the first time the Talk Club model, which is used by everyone from local pubs to global corporations and by men aged 18 to 80 worldwide, will have a dedicated Birmingham home.
