The Healthier Illawarra Men’s lunch audience applauds John Maclean as he demonstrates how determination and grit enabled him to stand again. Photos: Slyvia Liber Photography.
Healthier Illawarra Men (HIM) is calling on men of all ages to be “upstanders, not bystanders” when it comes to stopping unhealthy behaviour towards women.
At HIM’s annual International Men’s Day lunch on Friday (22 November), chair Mark Sleigh announced two initiatives that will be rolled out in 2025: Tomorrow Man and It Starts With Me. Today.
Both are aimed at fostering healthier, more supportive communities for men and boys across the Illawarra. HIM also announced funding for four Illawarra community groups.
The sell-out lunch heard from the inspirational speaker and athlete John Maclean, who shared his advice on how people could make themselves better – “it’s about how you are today and how we can be better tomorrow”.
John shared his inspiring story of overcoming adversity and embracing challenges after becoming a paraplegic when he was hit by a truck as he rode his bike in 1988. Through determination and hard work, he was able to walk again after 25 years in a wheelchair.
“It’s about acknowledging that we do have down days. It’s acknowledging that for some of us, it’s an ongoing challenge,” he said.
“It’s about asking what are we doing for our mental health – are we taking time out for ourselves? For some it’s exercise, some it’s meditation, some it’s mindfulness.”
HIM worked closely with Women Illawarra for 12 months to develop the campaign, It Starts With Me. Today, which challenges men to call out unhealthy behaviours among peers, family and friends.
Mark said the campaign aimed to actively address domestic violence rates in our community.
“We’ve been working with Michelle Glasgow and the Women Illawarra committee for 12 months on developing a domestic violence campaign, and it’s very much about men taking responsibility for their behaviour and not accepting poor behaviour among their mates,” he said.
“It Starts With Me. Today calls for all men to have a look at what they’re actually doing at home, in their workplaces, in the community, with their friends and to call out the behaviours that you’re not comfortable with to try and make a genuine change for our local community.
“It’s getting people to stand up and say, ‘Well, I’m not going to accept that’ – not being at the pub and listening to language from your mates that we really do need to call out.
“It takes a strong person to do that, in many respects, because you’re turning on your friends, but until we get to a point where we’re happy to do that, we’re not going to create a community that we should be proud of.”
The Tomorrow Man workshops, supported by the Shellharbour Club through Club Grants, targets boys aged 14 to 18, their teachers and parents, as well as men in sporting clubs and workplaces. They will be rolled out in early 2025.
“These workshops are a fantastic opportunity for young men to challenge stereotypes, build resilience, and carve out their own positive path,” Mark said.
“We encourage any community or sporting organisation with young men who may benefit from this training to reach out to us and be part of this transformational program.
“The great thing about the program is that whether you’re 14 or whether you’re our age, you can get engaged with it on your own level.
“We did it with a bunch of community leaders and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house at the end of it. It just made you think about things a hell of a lot differently.
“We really are passionate about that 14 to 18 age group and how we can actually affect some change as they’re starting to form a view on what they think being a man is all about. So that’s been a real priority for us.”
During the lunch, HIM also announced funding for four community groups that are making a difference in men’s health and well-being: the Raising the Bar Foundation, Top Blokes Foundation, Lifeline South Coast, and The Man Walk.
Mark said the organisations would receive vital funding to support their work in mental health, mentorship, and community engagement across the region.
Raising the Bar general manager Daniel Chin said the funds would allow the group to continue to deliver free events for men in the Illawarra.
“We like to host events that have different elements of wellness to them, so whether it be food or activity or connection, which is the main thing,” he said.
“We really want to be able to provide a connection for men who may otherwise struggle to find that or feel a bit awkward just going out and trying to meet people.
“We have gym sessions, yoga sessions, basketball nights, golf days, anything that men in particular enjoy getting together and doing.
“And it’s great that we’ve been able to work with HIM now for a number of years to ensure these events are kept free.”
For more information about the Tomorrow Man workshops, visit Healthier Illawarra Men.
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