Men’s health charity the Movember Foundation is celebrating its fifth annual MAYEIGHT (May 8, maaaate) campaign this Friday, encouraging Aussie men to use the date to catch up with a mate in order to tackle social isolation and improve mental health among men.
This year encouraging guys to take their mateship to the next level is more important than ever with the strict physical distancing rules currently in place.
“Social isolation, coupled with a spike in unemployment, financial distress and relationship difficulties creates a concerning set of risk factors for men. This is why we are hearing so much about the potential impact COVID-19 can have on our mental health and wellbeing,” says Brendan Maher, Global Director of Mental Health & Suicide Prevention at Movember.
“Statistics reliably show that men have fewer close friends than women and that these numbers continue to drop as men age, but this doesn’t mean that younger men have it any easier. Right now, there’s a pretty good chance you have a mate feeling lonely or isolated that isn’t letting on he’s struggling.
“Through initiatives like MAYEIGHT, Movember wants to remind men about the importance of strong support networks, so that they have a solid group of mates to turn to if they are going through a tough time.”
To make catching up with a mate even easier, Movember is launching their MAYEIGHT FESTIVAL, an innovative virtual festival of mateship supported by lululemon, Menulog, POLITIX and STIHL. With physical gathering off the table, this is a creative way for men to connect through virtual experiences and events, which also helps to give lives a sense of normalcy.
MAYEIGHT FESTIVAL kicks off from 7am until late on Friday, May 8, featuring sets filmed from the homes of the likes of The Aston Shuffle, Bag Raiders, Set Mo, Close Counters and Hockey Dad, alongside comedians Sam Simmons, Harley Breen, Michael Shafar, Suren Jayemanne and Lauren Edwards. The festival is hosted by former Goggleboxers’ Adam & Symon and Hit radio duo Tom & Olly.
To get involved in MAYEIGHT FESTIVAL, tune in to Movember Australia’s Facebook Live feed on Friday May 8 (AEST). You can RSVP to the event here.
For advice to help support a mate who might be struggling, check out Movember Conversations at movember.com. Launched today by the men’s health charity, Movember Conversations is a new online tool designed to help strengthen informal conversations and increase confidence to have important chats with the men in our lives, by learning how to ask better questions, listen effectively, encourage action and check-in. It’s all about helping people feel more motivated, confident and willing to support someone they care about.
Photo by Ian Laidlaw
