Men’s mental health event in Yea

THE Yea Shire Hall played host to a number of interested locals for Murrindindi Shire Council’s ‘Let’s Talk: A Space for Men’ event last Thursday, June 20.

The event included a panel of people well-versed in the field of men’s mental health. Several speakers came from outside the shire for the event, including Tarang Chawla, activist, keynote speaker, and founder of Not One More Niki, Erin, an advocate and men’s social worker, and Alex Detenter from The Men’s Project.

More locally, Murrindindi mayor Damien Gallagher, local tradie Reilly Grace, Taungurung elder Uncle Shane, and Alexandra Football Club president and former detective Ray Steyger, took the stage.

Running from noon to 3pm, the event provided a chance for networking and a safe space to discuss the issues that men face in modern society.

The panel was posed a variety of questions around issues such as what it means to be a man, what strategies can be taken for having hard conversations, what society expects of men, etcetera.

Lee Tomholt, Murrindindi Shire Council’s Free from Violence Project Officer and host for the panel, spoke about what the event was designed to facilitate, and what the day would entail.

“We just really wanted to bring men together into one space, to share the struggles that they’re going through, and to maybe talk about some solutions.

We’re not going to have any answers today, but I think it’s just getting people comfortable, especially men, with just having a chat.

“We’ve got about 50 to 60 people registered, but we’re accepting walk-ins as well, so hopefully there’ll be enough pies.

“We’ve got Tarang Chawla, who’s a pretty well-known advocate against violence against women, we’ve got our mayor, we’ve got a couple of local blokes as well.

So a footy club president, a career tradie, and we’ve also got a social worker who works with men as well, and someone from the men’s project,” she said.

Asked about when the idea was formed, Lee responded….

Image: The panel, comprised of Alex Detenter, Reilly Grace, Uncle Shane, Ray Steyger, Tarang Chawla, Erin, and Cr Damien Gallagher. The crowd listened intently to the panel discussion.