Help Us Keep the Fires Burning — Talk to the Fire CIC

My name’s Andy, (known online as 4 Boys On A Boat) and I started Talk to the Fire CIC because I’ve lived through the kind of loss that changes everything.

After losing my mum at a young age, then my 22-month-old son in 2015, and later supporting my own children through grief when they lost their mum, I learned what it truly means to break and to rebuild.

Through all of it, I discovered something powerful: real healing happens in connection.

Not in silence. Not in pretending to be strong. But in sitting together, speaking honestly, and letting the fire warm the spaces where life has gone cold.

That’s how Talk to the Fire began, a small group of men gathering outdoors to talk, to listen, and to remember they are not alone.

No therapy speak. No judgement. Just truth, compassion, and brotherhood.

Now, I’ve taken the next step and registered Talk to the Fire CIC as a Community Interest Company — a social enterprise dedicated to creating safe, open spaces for men to connect and heal.

This is a brand new CIC, and I’m asking for your help to get it off the ground.

Your support will help us:

Cover start-up costs — setting up systems, insurance, and the basic tools we need to run circles safely and consistently.

Keep circles free to attend — so every man can show up, no matter his financial situation.

Train new facilitators — to lead fireside circles in more towns across the UK.

Start more groups — reaching men in rural and urban areas who often fall through the cracks.

Cover essential costs — wood, fire pits, shelter, and food for shared community meals.

I’ve seen how a single fire can change a life — how one night of being truly heard can help a man find hope again.

This is more than a project. It’s a lifeline.

And with your help, we can build it into something that lasts.

Every contribution — no matter how small — helps us take one more step toward building a national network of safe spaces for men.

Let’s keep the fires burning.

Let’s make sure no man faces the dark alone.

Thank you for your support.

Andy Simpson

Founder, Talk to the Fire CIC

@4boysonaboat