Men’s mental health to the fore at upcoming Albany Chamber of Commerce golf day

Albany men will be encouraged to talk about their mental health during a golf event on June 11 hosted by the Albany Chamber of Commerce with the support of Pivot Support Services and Albany headspace.

The Men’s Mental Health Golf Day on Sunday June 11 will coincide with the start of Men’s Health Week, which runs from June 12-18.

ACCI chief executive Kristen Pyrz-Brown said she wanted the event to take place on Sunday so there was an opportunity to promote further conversations throughout the week.

She said studies showed that while women were more likely to share face to face, men were “far more willing to share shoulder to shoulder”.

“Doing something physical and in the outdoors also raises endorphins and a social setting, with the promise of food at the end just seemed to be the perfect combination for a mental health day to raise awareness and start the discussion,” she said.

We’re all struggling or have struggled with things and to hear how someone else has come back from the brink is always inspirational.

The event will feature nine holes of social golf at the Albany Golf club.

Each tee will have prompts to start conversations down the fairway.

Golf will be followed a two-course lunch and a talk delivered by Bali bombing survivor Peter Hughes and an auction.

Ms Pyrz-Brown said it was important for the inaugural event to attract a high profile guest who had experience dealing with his own mental health challenges.

“Peter has an inspirational story, that he will share more of with us on the day,” she said.

“Sports stars are interesting but a regular person who went through something unthinkable can sometimes be a little more relatable.

“We’re all struggling or have struggled with things and to hear how someone else has come back from the brink is always inspirational.”

She said the area of mental health was important to the ACCI because “the idea that the people who run businesses and the businesses themselves are two different things is part of the issue”.

“The Chamber already plays a role in assisting business with the aspects of doing business that are challenging,” she said.

“We are in the privileged position of being privy to patterns that are emerging and mental health is definitely something that a lot of people are trying to work on and get right at the moment for the sake of themselves, their family and absolutely their business.”

Proceeds from the day will be divided between headspace and Pivot.

Visit the ACCI website to register for the event, or alternatively you can register in person at Paperbarks.

Contact the ACCI events team at events@albanycci.com.au or by calling 9845 7888 if you wish to donate to the auction.