A MEN's mental health support group has extended a warm welcome to new members, in what has been described as a tough time for many due to the pandemic and autumn setting in.

With the weather starting to turn and the nights getting darker, the Dragon Chat group set up in collaboration with Wrexham AFC is keen to offer its support for anyone who might be struggling.

Dragon Chat offers peer to peer support. It was set up back in September 2020 and has just reached its first birthday milestone. Mental health is a subject close to Wrexham AFC co-owner Ryan Reynolds's heart, since he has talked openly about his own mental health and living with anxiety.

The group currently meets online every Thursday evening, due to Covid, but face-to-face meetings at The Racecourse are due to resume when possible.

Group co-founder Steve Lloyd said that the group was open to men aged 18 and over. He added that he felt the group would be needed even more over the coming months, due to hardships some are facing as we live and work through a pandemic and the cold winter months set in.

Steve said he had already noticed a difference to the mental health of those attending the group, including a boost to their confidence. He added that he was in awe of the members, stating that their progress was due to a combination of factors, including attending the group and getting peer support and also their own hard work and pushing themselves to do things, which could be something like attending a football match.

He said: "We are now 12-months-old, which is brilliant. We're really proud of the group. I sometimes sit back and think that I can't believe how it's taken off and how it is helping people. It's pretty special.

"There's going to be a lot of hardship this winter and that's just going to make things worse in terms of people's mental health. People are losing money and going out less. Winter comes and people tend to hibernate away. I think we'll see more and more isolation as the weeks go on, unfortunately.

"The group really is the sum of everyone who attends in terms of what it achieves. I think it's about having that sense of belonging and we support each other, through whatever difficulties or challenges we are facing.

"That time each week can be a real help, to keep them going for the next week. It helps me too, after a stressful day at work, to get together and share Wrexham stories. You could argue that I'm staying in that good place because I am a part of the group and I'm getting that one and a half hours of chat and connection, when I could be working more or watching rubbish on telly.

"Hopefully we will be able to meet up in person again soon too. We do want to make sure the online provision is kept too for those who don't live in the area.

"If you want to chat beforehand or have any questions then please get in touch either via the email or on Twitter. There's also a live link on the Wrexham AFC website every Thursday. It's normally put up at about midday."

For more information about Dragon Chat, visit https://www.wrexhamafc.co.uk/news/2021/september/dragon-chat--join-this-weeks-mens-mental-health-peer-support-group-call/ or email dragonchat247@gmail.com.