His Boy Elroy owners Daniel Chin and Lachlan Stevens (fourth and third from right) with Member for Keira Ryan Park (second from left) and Member for Wollongong Paul Scully (fourth from left) and the Raising the Bar Foundation board welcome $250,000 in funding to roll out tailored hospitality mental health training across NSW. Photo: Zoe Cartwright.
A burger bar in Wollongong might seem an unlikely birthplace place for an industry-changing idea, but the NSW Government thinks His Boy Elroy owners Daniel Chin and Lachlan Stevens are on to a good thing.
Their charity, the Raising the Bar Foundation, has received $250,000 from the government to design and deliver custom mental health training packages to 10,000 hospitality employees across NSW.
The Healthier Hospitality program focuses on the social and mental health challenges unique to the hospitality industry, and gives businesses and employees the tools to better navigate mental health.
Daniel said the smiles customers saw on a night out could hide a world of pain.
“Hospitality is a tough industry, it’s fast-paced and stressful,” he said.
“On top of that, we become so good at putting on a happy face and hiding our feelings in front of the customers, sometimes that can run off into our personal lives as well.
“We want to see the hospitality industry thrive and ultimately we want people to come to venues for connection, we want to see more people stay in hospitality, because as well as being fast-paced and stressful, it is social and fun.
“We hope giving people the tools and power to manage mental health risks themselves will help us identify when we’re not at our best, or when someone around us is putting on a brave face.”
The funding to expand the initiative across NSW was announced at His Boy Elroy on Keira Street.
Minister for the Illawarra and South Coast Ryan Park said addressing mental health was a priority for the NSW Government.
“I’m really impressed by the proactive work Lachlan, Daniel and the Raising the Bar Foundation team are doing to increase mental health support and driving a cultural shift in the hospitality industry,” Mr Park said.
“We know that over two in five (44 per cent) Australians over 16 are estimated to have experienced a mental illness at some point in their life.
“It highlights the need for a concerted effort from the NSW Government and industry leaders like the Raising the Bar Foundation to ensure that people are equipped to stay mentally healthy and that they feel comfortable reaching out for help if they are struggling.”
Member for Wollongong Paul Scully said he hoped the initiative would help shift the dial in hospitality.
“Whether you work in an office, out on a farm or in a pub, a healthy mind is important for us all,” he said.
“I have been working with Lachlan, Daniel and the Raising the Bar Foundation team on this innovative approach to improving mental health awareness for some time.
“Providing people in the hospitality and tourism sectors with the skills they need to identify mental health and wellbeing issues will not only benefit their colleagues but also help their customers as well.”
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