How car meets are helping men discuss mental health

A motor enthusiast said he has been organising car meets to encourage other men to talk "openly and honestly" about their mental health and challenge any stigma.

Lewis Warren, 33, from Brixworth, Northamptonshire, hosts the events around the UK on the second Sunday of each month, including at Gasoline Juice in Weedon Bec.

Regular attendee Craig Abbott, from Duston, Northampton, said the car meets have had a "positive effect" on him and helped him feel "listened to as a person".

"I think blokes have a difficult time talking openly and honestly because we kind of put these barriers around ourselves," Warren said.

"Asking somebody how they really feel quite upfront, almost puts those protective shields up almost immediately.

"Whereas going into it softly by talking about something you're both interested in gets the conversation started," he added.

Warren said up to 30 to 100 cars attend the Coffee and Cars meet-ups.

Abbott said he discovered Warren's work through his podcast, Takona Tlks, and the pair built a friendship whilst he helped out at the Takona car meets.

Abbott said the sense of community is what keeps him coming back: "I love meeting the people and find the diversity of the people attending amazing.

"I have made new friends that I never would have met if not for the meet ups."

Warren told Robert Constantin and Charlotte Vowden on The Motorsport Show that he has not always found it easy to talk about his feelings and continues to find it challenging.

But the 33-year-old brand consultant said that was what encouraged him to help other people open up.

"If it's that difficult for me and I spend all of my time doing this, it must be so much more difficult for people that don't have any real interaction in this positive mental health space," he added.

Warren said he has plans to expand his brand Takona into a car club, where people can attend automotive events as a group and further build their community.

"When I was a teenager and I was going through difficult times, my car was my escape and that was the seed [for Takona] planted originally," Warren explained.

Warren, who is originally from near Derbyshire, has made friends through his interest in cars and wants others to have the same opportunity.

"Just by having a normal conversation about cars will lead to much more intimate and deeper conversations or... having that network of people around you," he added.

Daryl Shearman, from Towcester, said he became part of the community after buying a car in memory of his father he lost to suicide.

"I wanted to use it to help promote mental health awareness, and want to do as much as possible to help others," Shearman said.

He added: "Without a doubt these events have been great for me to be able to talk to other individuals about mental health and create a safe space to be able to do so."

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