Every January we are told that Blue Monday is the most depressing day of the year. The reality is less dramatic and more uncomfortable. Blue Monday is a marketing concept, not a medical or psychological fact.

What is real is this. Men in the UK are around three times more likely to die by suicide than women, and suicide remains the leading cause of death for men under 50. That does not happen on one Monday. It happens all year round.

That is why MANUP? will be at Liverpool Street Station. Not to run an event in the traditional sense, but to be present where men already are. We use high-footfall locations like this because they give us the chance to reach men who would never attend a mental health event, join a group, or book an appointment.

Men passing through the station are welcome to stop, say hello, and have a short, informal chat. Some choose to speak on camera for a couple of minutes. Others want to talk off camera. Both are fine. There is no script, no pressure, and no expectation to share more than you want to.

We also film these conversations, with consent, to show something that often gets forgotten. Men do talk when they are met without judgment and without being told how they should feel.

If Blue Monday gets attention, we will use that attention for something real. Listening to men. Showing their voices. And reminding people that this work does not start or end with a hashtag.