Talk Club launches at Ashton Gate

Talk Club launches at Ashton Gate - the thirteenth group in the Bristol area

Bristolian actor Joe Sims is calling on men from across the city to pop in to a new Talk Club he has set up at Ashton Gate stadium, as the number of similar informal clubs and gatherings increase in Bristol.

The group, which meets on Wednesday evenings in the South Stand at the stadium, is the 18th in Bristol and North Somerset, and the initiative is beginning to go nationwide after getting backing from big business and celebrities.

The charity, which was started in Bristol by Ben Akers after his best friend took his own life, now has 13 clubs in Bristol and another eight in North Somerset, with Talk Clubs being set up as far away as Liverpool, London, Loughborough and Kent.

The latest Talk Club has been backed by the Robins Foundation, as Bristol City follow in the footsteps of Bristol Rovers, where a Talk Club is already well-established. The clubs are simply a get-together for men to chat with no set agenda, although some of the clubs combine chewing the fat with other activities like running, golf or football.

“There are no therapists, no couches and no judgement – just regular men sitting in a private and safe space, listening and talking,” said Ben Akers. “If it’s a Talk & Run club or Talk & Golf sharing will happen at different points throughout the activity. We start with how with each man feels out of 10 and sharing why. We then talk about what we are grateful for and what we are going going to do for our mental fitness this week. It’s a beautifully simple medicine that we rarely give ourselves, the ability to share how we really feel.” he added.

Joe Sims said he was delighted to get the backing of the Robins Foundation, who have generously given over space in the suites inside the VIP Entrance 3 at the South Stand, with the Bristol Beer Factory sponsoring with some non-alcoholic beer.

“It’s not just for football fans, it’s for all men,” said Joe. “But I was keen to get one started at Ashton Gate. It makes sense to have it up at the football as it may help break down any reservations people have about coming along. It’s literally just a place for men to be able to get together. We start by asking how we are doing out of ten, and then just chat about what’s going on, how we’re feeling.

“There’s more need than every before for this sort of thing. There is a misguided love of British stoicism, that we should keep a stiff upper lip and never talk about how we’re feeling, but fortunately, that doesn’t feel to be the case anymore,” added Joe, who said he has grown to realise how important things like Talk Club are for his own mental health and wellbeing.

“This is like a gym workout but for your mental health rather than your body. Prevention is better than cure and we don’t want to wait for it to be too late,” he said. “It’s ok not to be ok, and that’s a really important thing to say out loud to people who might be struggling. Rather than a sign of weakness, it’s actually a sign of strength to talk about things with other people. Just to hear a lot of other men saying stuff about how they have been feeling is helpful, it resonates with people, and you get that feeling of being together and having a camaraderie,” he added.

Bristol based film-maker Ben Akers (James Beck/Freelance)

The Ashton Gate Talk Club has only just started, and Joe is appealing for anyone to come along and join in. “We just all sit around and have a natter, it’s literally nothing more than that. It’s not awkward, just see how everyone’s doing and chat. It doesn’t cost anything, and it should feel perfectly normal to do that,” he added.

The new Talk Club at Ashton Gate meets at 7.30pm every Wednesday - go to the VIP Entrance 3 in the corner of the South Stand. The next meet up is January 11. For a full list of other Talk Clubs in Bristol and the surrounding area, visit here.

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