Barwon Heads men’s group breaks silence on mental health

WITH nothing more than a meeting place and an open invitation, a Barwon Heads-based men’s group is breaking the silence around mental health.

Every Wednesday at 6am, a group of men from around the Bellarine and the Surf Coast meet at 13th Beach for an hour.

The catch-up starts with some light exercise, then the men form a circle, creating space for anyone who wants to vent or simply talk about what’s going on in their lives.

“It’s a space where men can get something off their chest knowing that it’s not going anywhere; it’s going to stay on the beach,” group member Rob Gemes said.

“There’s moments where knowledge is shared, wisdom is shared – people are airing some challenges that they may not speak of otherwise.”

The group then completes 60 push-ups in recognition of the 60 men who take their lives in Australia every hour.

“We do that as a reminder that today’s a good day, the sun’s up and we’ve got each other,” Gemes said.

All participants then head into the ocean for a swim, regardless of the weather, before dispersing to start their day.

The Barwon Heads gathering is one chapter of an initiative called When No One’s Watching (WNOW), which aims to create supportive communities where men can rally around one another.

WNOW was formed by former AFL footballer Tadhg Kennelly and his friend David Eccles, who initially wanted to create time to check in on each other’s lives.

The initiative has since grown to 48 chapters across seven countries.

“It’s really just about mateship amongst men, getting together without the introduction of any alcohol, doing a little bit of exercise and spending time with one another,” Gemes said.

“We don’t solve the problems, we’re not professionals in any way, we are lending an ear.

“The message simply is: you matter and we’re happy to listen, and sometimes that’s enough.”

Gemes said the group helped challenge the stigma that often saw men keep their struggles to themselves.

“We’ve become more isolated as individuals and we rely heavily on the relationships to keep us happy and sane as human beings.

“Men don’t have a great track record of actually bonding with one another. They typically soldier on thinking they’ve got to do it all by themselves.

“We’re not pretending that we’re there to solve each other’s problems, but we are coming together to highlight the importance of connection.”

For more information, phone Rob Gemes on 0407 322 311.