A RADIO show has recently been launched in Forth Valley to help men struggling with their mental health.

Andrew Feeney, founder of Andrew’s Journey, will be hosting a weekly radio show every Saturday at 6pm on Forth Valley Radio.

The Glasgow man has his own issues with mental health and set up Andrew’s Journey, a Facebook page, following his decision to walk from Glasgow to Land’s End.

Andrew said: “I’ve suffered with my mental health since a young age and it was never addressed. Typical west of Scotland [thing], a man should be a man and shouldn’t do certain things.

“A few years back, my relationship had broken down, I lost seven family members in a short space of time and my business suffered: it was a spiral. I turned to drugs and alcohol to self-medicate, and it was a bottomless pit.”

When he didn’t receive the kind of support he needed, he returned to a childhood pastime.

He continued: “That’s when I really got back into walking. I walked quite a lot as a boy, so I started doing that with my dog Kai.

“From there, I was sitting with my uncle Andy, who’s passed away now, and I said to him I was going to go for a walk.”

Andrew’s uncle said he’d grab his jacket and come with him, until Andrew explained he was planning to walk from Glasgow to Land’s End to raise awareness for men’s mental health.

Now, he’s hoping to help as many people as possible with his new radio show, which premiered last Saturday on Forth Valley Radio.

Andrew said: “One of my friends and the co-founder of the Andrew’s Journey Facebook page, Stuart Gordon, he’s a DJ and recently got a position with Forth Valley Radio.

“From there, he asked me if we could get involved in Forth Valley Radio’s Gift For Kids appeal.

“So we jumped on board with that and some Glasgow businesses and we ended up helping them raise around £2,500 and we had two vans full of toys to take to the studio.”

He then approached the radio station to ask if they would run an advert for his group, and then pitched a radio show, which was approved almost instantly by Clacks man and founder Steve Mac.

This coming Saturday, January 30, will see the show’s first guest Rena Romano, who has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, talk about childhood trauma, and then each week will have a different topic and guest.

Listeners will also have an opportunity to call in and discuss their opinions with the host and guests.

Andrew wants people to know that “if a six-foot, tattooed and muscled [man] can stand and not just speak out about how he feels but show emotion”, anyone can.

He added: “I knew I wasn’t the only man in that position, I knew it was a male trait so I just wanted to speak out, use my voice and make people aware that it’s okay not be okay.”

Visit https://www.facebook.com/Forthvalleyradiostation for more information on Andrew's show.