Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the 2025 National Men’s Health Gathering. Held at the Brisbane Showgrounds and hosted by Glen Poole and the team from the Australian Men’s Health Forum, it was a fantastic three days of learning and networking.
Men’s health in Australia is in dire straits. On average, men in Australia die 5 years younger than women. Sadly, every day, 50 Australian men (under 75 years of age) and boys die from preventable causes. Tragically, over 2,500 Australian men die by suicide each year, and suicide is now the leading cause of death in men under 65 years of age in Australia.
The statistics are grim, but there are many individuals and organisations (including Dads4Kids) doing great work to tackle these issues head-on. My mate Paul ‘Paulo’ Withall (pictured above) is one such individual.
Paulo is a straight shooter, a brave man who’s not backwards in coming forward, and he’s a national treasure. For the past several years, on 19 November (International Men’s Day), he and his dedicated team have laid 2,500 shoes on the lawn of Parliament House, Canberra. Each shoe powerfully represents the life of a man or boy lost, and it’s Australia’s largest visual display of the growing epidemic of male suicide in our country.
Paulo’s passion for zero male suicide inspires me, and you can find out more about his amazing work here. In next week’s Dads4Kids Newsletter, cofounder Warwick Marsh will share more ways to get involved in this year’s International Men’s Day.
At last week’s National Men’s Health Gathering, we heard from many others doing great work in the men’s health space. Duncan Armstrong OAM, Australian former competitive swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder, and Ryan Girdler, NRL legend, former Kangaroo and premiership-winning centre, shared their stories of overcoming adversity. Their relaxed conversational style was entertaining, informative, and their session was certainly a highlight.
The Shaka Project is a registered mental health and suicide prevention charity, and they deliver free educational workshops to sporting clubs, schools and communities all over Australia. Since 2019, funds from sales of their merchandise have helped them deliver over 600 programs to 60,000+ young people across the country. They’re doing amazing work – Click here to find out more.
Blokes Advice (BA) are another group doing great work. It’s a platform where hundreds of thousands of blokes have a space to talk about all things blokey with like-minded individuals. As Matty Rogers from BA said during their presentation, ‘men don’t hate therapy, they hate feeling talked down to.’ He’s spot on!
Some of the other organisations and individuals doing great work for dads and men’s health are the ManKind Project Queensland, Richard Fletcher and the team from SMS4Dads, Dads In Distress (Parents Beyond Breakup), and The Men’s Table, to name just a few.
It was wonderful to learn more about the Men’s Shed movement, too. The Australian Men’s Shed Association (AMSA) are well coordinated and doing excellent work across the country. They understand men are more comfortable talking shoulder to shoulder than face to face, something the team at Dads4Kids have also observed. Fun fact: There are now more men’s sheds in Australia than McDonald’s fast-food restaurants, which is fantastic!
Men’s Health in Australia may be down, but it’s most certainly not out. There is always hope! Along with the many others doing great things, Dads4Kids will continue working hard to move the needle for men’s health.
Lovework
Speak up for men’s health! As Barb from Tufminds said at The National Men’s Health Gathering, ‘too many men these days are hurting in silence.’ I couldn’t agree with her more.
For the men, fathers and families of Australia, we must work together, lift each other up, and keep speaking out. If you’re struggling, reach out to a trusted friend. If you don’t have anyone to talk to and you’re not sure where to start, visit my friend Cecil’s comprehensive Men’s Work and Men’s Health Links page here.
Dads4Kids is one of the many organisations and individuals doing wonderful work for the men and fathers of Australia. The men’s health movement is growing, but there’s still so much more to do. By the grace of God, we’ll continue working to transform the nation by encouraging fathers and helping their children be the best they can be.
Yours for improving men’s health,
Nathaniel Marsh
P.S. A massive THANK YOU to the Dads4Kids supporters who take time out of their busy schedules to meet with me. I’m so thankful for those who support us in our mission to help turn the hearts of fathers to their children and children to their fathers. If you enjoy receiving weekly fathering inspiration and encouragement from Dads4Kids, please consider supporting us on a monthly basis.
P.P.S. The Dads4Kids Fun Camp is NEXT WEEKEND, 7-8 November 2025! If you’re a dad or grandad near the South Coast of New South Wales, please consider joining us for a fantastic weekend with your kids. Click here to find out more and register, which helps us with planning for the event. Warwick Marsh and I would love to see you there!
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Republished with thanks to Dads4Kids.