St Helens, East Coast Tassie

North West Mates volunteers Owen, Jamie, Brett and Greg visited St Helens recently to host The Man Walk, walk and talk followed by a Mr Perfect BBQ.  Luckily the weather delivered a nice sunny day for the event with a number of local men turning up to find out more about how the national initiatives are supporting local men to create an informal space to connect socially in communities around Australia.

The key to why The Man Walk and Mr Perfect work so well is that they are led by local men for the men in their community.  Walk ‘Manbassadors’ and BBQ Hosts are not experts or professionals, they are volunteers, regular blokes who have often had their own challenges in life and know that having somewhere to go and someone who cares, can help lift your spirits when times are tough. 

Reflecting on 5 plus years volunteering with Mr Perfect, Ulverstone BBQ host Greg said “I can honestly say picking up the tongs and dicing countless onions on a Sunday morning has been life changing.  I have got to meet so many great blokes, listened as men spoke about their darkest days and deepest fears, laughed at funny stories and learned life lessons from the older generations.  The most important thing I’ve learned as a Mr Perfect BBQ host is that all you need to do is show up with your esky full of snags and you’ll make a difference”.

For men in the Break O Day region (or anywhere in Australia) the opportunity exists for you to lead something unique and simple that can have a powerful impact on the wellbeing of men in your community.  Setting up The Man Walk or Mr Perfect BBQ is a relatively quick and straightforward process with very little admin work once you are up and running which means you can focus on building a network of men who can share the ups and downs of life together instead of going it alone.

How to start up your own Mr Perfect BBQ – www.mrperfect.org.au

Become a ‘Manbassador’ for The Man Walk – www.themanwalk.com.au