From Andrew Tate to Mountbatten-Windsor, my first name has been dragged through the mud. Can a global community of ‘Drews’ help change that?

The ‘Council of Andrews’ started as a bit of fun – but has led to friendships, financial help and even fiances… It’s a rough time to be called Andrew. In recent years, notorious figures such as Andrew Tate and the former prince have dominated the headlines, giving us a bad name. Even the CEO caught up in that Coldplay scandal was an Andy. It’s been a bad run. As an Andrew myself, I wanted to unearth some better representatives, so I recently set out on a mission: to find some fellow Andrews doing good in the world. That’s how I stumbled upon thousands of Andrews at once. These Andrews belong to an exclusive community. It’s a closed-off collective you can only join if your forename derives from the Greek root name Andreas. They meet in private online, sending hundreds of messages back and forth each month. They follow specific rules, have their own flag, and hold an annual festival where members meet in person. I’ve just travelled 140 miles to attend one of their gatherings, which is how on a Saturday in January I find myself walking towards a circle of strangers, all called Andrew. It started on Facebook, where I spotted a group called the Council of Andrews.