Right Mate are a bunch of enthusiastic Geelong residents who are passionate about raising awareness about mental health
“You right mate?”
It’s a simple question, we’re so accustomed to asking. Just casually checking in, a friendly how are you?
But what if they’re not right?
Research from Beyond Blue found that on average one in eight men will experience depression, whilst one in five suffer from anxiety at some stage of their lives. What’s more startling is that men make up an average of six out of every eight suicides in Australia every day.
While showcasing vulnerability may come naturally to some, men are often less prompted by society to open up and engage in conversations about their feelings, risking their mental health and wellbeing.
Right Mate was founded by a desire to change this narrative.
Driven by lived experience, founders of Right Mate Chris Lytas & Luke Outerbridge are passionate about not only encouraging the conversation of men’s mental health, but also understanding the actual issue and providing avenues for positive solutions.
Geelong residents Chris and Luke were two strangers who were connected through a mutual desire to shed light on men’s mental health. Together, the two founded Right Mate with an ultimate aim to build a community of men who look out for each other and are comfortable in their own skin.
In conjunction with Drummond Street Services, Right Mate now present “A Dad’s Night In.”
A father’s role has changed dramatically over the past few decades, with dads now being much more involved in parenting and in building relationships with their child, but adjusting to fatherhood can be overwhelming. Postnatal depression and other mental health issues, are just as relevant for dads as they are for mums, with around 10% of fathers experiencing mental health problems in the first year.
However, men can find it much harder to seek support for these emotional problems. Right Mate are encouraging Dads to talk about it and receive helpful insight from others who may have been there too.
The event is set to be a brilliant evening for Dads to come together and listen to a fantastic panel of other Dads share their insights and experiences of fatherhood.
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In early 2019, the pair initiated The Man Walk Geelong, in hopes of boosting men’s physical and mental well-being by following a simple motto of – walk, talk, support. Every Saturday, The Man Walk begins at Orchid & Co at 8am, where they grab a takeaway coffee and then head off for a walk and talk. This initiative has created a community of men who now have a supportive and all-inclusive environment for men to talk about how they’re going. The Man Walk encourages conversation and generates a safe space for blokes to get together and support each other in Geelong.
Right Mate also teamed up with ‘The Kindness Pandemic’ during COVID 19 to launch their #ToAMateThatMatters campaign. This project allowed user to write an anonymous digital note to a mate and have it displayed on the Right Mate Website. This initiative showed a sign of unconditional love and a tribute to mateship, connecting other in the climate of social disconnection.
‘A Dads Night In’ promises to be an informative yet relaxed night to catch up with other dads in the Geelong and Surf Coast community, allowing men to learning a few tips to manage their mental health, and ignite more conversations surrounding men’s well-being.
The Event will be held on the 19th of May, 7pm, at the Driftwood Café (64D The Terrance, Ocean grove).
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here, with 100% of the sales from the tickets going directly towards the work that Right Mate are doing in the community.
Whether it’s community events, support groups, tips to benefit your wellbeing or a safe place to chat, Right Mate is here to make sure you’re right mate.
