Picioane to headline Big Boys Breakfast

AS PART of Mental Health Week, The Art of The Minds will host its annual Big Boys Breakfast at the Torquay Bowls Club next month.

The event is designed to highlight the challenges that men in our community face when managing their own mental health, along with connecting the community and creating a safe environment for men with mental health to find assistance.

With more than 3,000 lives lost to suicide each year, with about 75 per cent being men, this event will bring attention to a conversation that needs to be acknowledged in all communities surrounding Surf Coast.

The event will feature a talk by Lance Picioane, an eight-year AFL player who is now the founder and chief executive officer of Love Me Love You, a youth mental health foundation that aims to make positive social changes surrounding mental health.

Picioane will discuss his own battles with mental health while raising awareness to help encourage men to come forward for support for their own mental health battles.

Founder and president of Art of The Minds Jules Haddock said she knew just how important men’s mental health awareness was through her own personal experiences with her father.

“Seeing my father’s struggle with depression in retirement showed our family the impact of mental health challenges.

“Sharing men’s lived experiences helps normalise these issues and teaches us how to support each other.

“This event empowers men to find strength in vulnerability and raises awareness about crucial support, especially during times of increased suicide risk.”

The Art of The Minds aims to raises awareness within the Surf Coast community to assure individuals that they are not alone throughout their mental health journey, and that support is here for them to use.

The Big Boys Breakfast will be held at the Torquay Bowls Club on October 9 from 8.30am to 10.30am.

Tickets are $60 and can be purchased from the Art of The Minds website at artoftheminds.org.au