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.

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. 

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/talk-club-launches-ashton-gate-7920883

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