A WEEK after #WorldMentalHealthDay, Westbury Town Council has launched its first Men’s Group, highlighting the fact that mental wellbeing is a year long focus.

The Westbury Men’s Group will start on Monday, November 4th, at 7pm at the Laverton. It will run every Monday at 7pm in the Abraham Room.

Wiltshire’s higher than national average suicide rate is one motivation for the group, not least because 75 per cent of all suicides are male.

Figures show men with common mental health problems are far less likely to seek help than women so the group is also aimed at anyone who just fancies a chat.

Ryan Child, Westbury Town Council’s new events manager, said: “There is no pressure and you don’t even have to say a word if you don’t want to. There’s tea, coffee and some snacks, along with a group of blokes who won’t judge and will just lend an ear.”

Mr Child joins Westbury Town Council after running a national mental health campaign, The Battling Suicide Tour.

He is keen to help the council deliver their focus of more community events that positively impact the people of Westbury.

“This is going to be the start of a really exciting time for the town in terms of tackling its problems and highlighting its strengths together as a community,” he said.