Supporting rural men with Mental health

Kerry White
06th Aug 2024

The Glen Innes Natural Resources Advisory Committee (GLENRAC) hosted a highly impactful Men’s Night Out: Supporting Our Mates on Friday, July 26th. The event brought together over 184 community members to address mental health challenges and support rural men.
The evening featured a lineup of compelling speakers, including Warren Davies, known as ‘The Unbreakable Farmer’, Kerry White, an Ambassador for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, and Carol Mudford, the CEO and Founder of Shedway. Each speaker shared personal stories and valuable insights into mental health and well-being, emphasizing the importance of community support.
Casey Chard spoke on behalf of the Kayne Wells family.
“While organising Wellsy’s funeral, we knew we wanted to give back to this amazing community that brought us much strength during such a difficult time,” Casey said.
“We also knew that we wanted to raise awareness and support our rural men with their mental health. With this in mind, we approached Kylie and the GLENRAC team for their assistance in facilitating an event that would do just this.”
“Tonight was not just about discussing mental health, but also about equipping our community with the necessary tools to tackle these issues,” said GLENRAC CEO Kylie Falconer. “We were thrilled to see such a strong turnout and the positive energy in the room was palpable.”
The proceeds of the raffle will go to Shedway, supporting their efforts to improve mental health in the shearing community. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the sponsors of the night: Hunter New England & Central Coast Primary Health Network, the Kayne Wells Memorial Fund, Rotary Club of Glen Innes, Centacare New England North West, and Glen Innes Men’s Shed. Donations for the raffle were generously provided by Rotary Club of Glen Innes, Ben’s Falls Retreat, Say & Co Rural, Elders Glen Innes, GrazAg Glen Innes, Second Time Around Saddlery, Kemp Shearing, and Shearing Supplies Dubbo.
Building on the success of this event, GLENRAC plans to host additional workshops and support sessions aimed at improving mental health and community resilience.
Upcoming mental health workshops with Sarah Green from Highway to Well are scheduled for September 2024. To register, visit www.glenrac.org.au/events-all.

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