G’day everyone, it is really great to be here with you today as all the Men’s Sheds from across the ACT come together for a day of talking, listening, learning and supporting each other.
I’m Dan Repacholi, the Federal Member for Hunter and Australia’s first ever Special Envoy for Men’s Health, and I cannot tell you how bloody proud I am to hold that title and to stand in front of a room full of blokes who are doing so much for men’s wellbeing every single day.
Being given this role means something important for men right across the country because it shows that men’s health is finally being treated as a serious issue, not an afterthought or something we deal with only when things go wrong.
I want to thank every Shed represented here today for the incredible work you do because Men’s Sheds have become one of the most powerful, practical and successful men’s health movements in Australia, and you have built that from the ground up through mateship, consistency and genuine care.
Every Shed I visit, whether it’s in a big city, a regional town or a tiny community out the back of nowhere, has the same warmth, the same sense of purpose and the same ability to lift blokes up when they are going through tough times.
You all deserve to be recognised, not for one program or one event, but for the everyday impact you have on the lives of thousands of men who walk through the door looking for connection, support, a chat or even just a distraction.
I want to quickly thank Gordon and his team for making today happen. When I met with Gordon during the last sitting week in Parliament I could tell that this was a bloke who genuinely cares about the people around him. If every men’s organisation had a Gordon, we’d be in a much better spot when it comes to men’s health.
Before I dive into the research happening here in the ACT, I want to talk about why the Special Envoy role was created in the first place, because the truth is that men in Australia are not tracking well when it comes to our health.
On average, we die six years earlier than women, we are more likely to die from preventable conditions, we put off going to the doctor for far too long, and we make up around three quarters of all suicides in this country.
These are not statistics you can ignore because behind every number is a real man who should still be here, and behind that man is a family, a set of mates and a community trying to understand why things ended the way they did.
The hardest part is that most of these problems do not come from weakness or lack of effort; they come from the way men are taught to deal with pressure, pain, stress and emotion.
For generations, blokes were told to bottle things up, keep quiet, push through and get on with it, and while that attitude might help you get a job done on a tough day, it absolutely destroys your health when it becomes a way of life.
I have done it myself, I have ignored symptoms, brushed off injuries, told myself I was fine and delayed going to the doctor because I didn’t want to make a fuss, and I reckon just about every bloke here has done the same thing at some point.
This is exactly why Men’s Sheds matter so much.
You give men a place where they dont have to pretend everything is fine, where they can be themselves, where they can talk if they want to or stay quiet if they need to, and where they can be around other blokes who understand what life throws at you.
In a world where too many men are isolated or worn down or unsure of where to turn, the Shed becomes a safe, comfortable and welcoming space that cuts through the barriers that normally stop men from reaching out.
It doesn’t take a psychologist to know that sometimes a cuppa, a project on the bench and a simple “How are you travelling, mate?” is enough to turn someone’s whole week around.
And the beauty of it is that you do all of this without making it complicated or intimidating.
There are no forms to fill out, no long consultations, no pressure to talk about anything personal unless you want to; it’s just a shed full of good people doing good work together, and that in itself becomes a natural support system that many men have never had anywhere else in their lives.
That is why the Shed model works, because it matches the way men actually connect, not the way someone in an office thinks we should connect.
Now, I want to talk about the research project happening right here in the ACT, because it has the potential to change the way Men’s Sheds are supported across the whole country.
Belconnen Community Men’s Shed has teamed up with the Australian National University, a dedicated medical student and the head clinical psychologist from Canberra Hospital to run a deep and detailed study into the wellbeing of Shed members.
This is not a quick survey or a token piece of paperwork; this is serious, professional research aimed at understanding exactly how the Shed helps with mental health, loneliness, PTSD, dementia, carer stress and the broader sense of connection that is so important to keeping men mentally strong.
For years, everyone involved with Sheds has known from lived experience that the model works, but what we have struggled with is getting the sort of solid data that governments and organisations need when they are making decisions about funding, training or long term support.
This research fills that gap by collecting real evidence about how men feel when they join the Shed, what changes over time, what support they receive, and how those positive effects flow through to their families, their friendships and their whole community.
It means that when you tell governments that Sheds save lives, you will be able to show them exactly how and exactly why.
One of the most important parts of this project is the focus on the volunteers and Shed leaders, because these are the people who often become the first point of contact when a bloke opens up about something heavy.
The research is helping us understand what kind of support Shed leaders need so they can feel confident in their conversations, recognise when a mate might be struggling and know what steps to take if someone needs extra help.
This is not about turning volunteers into counsellors; it is about giving them the skills and information they need to feel safe and supported in those moments when someone quietly says, “Mate, I’m not doing too well.”
What excites me even more is that this is not a one off project; the plan is for ANU medical students to continue this research year after year, building a long term evidence base that gets stronger, deeper and more powerful over time.
That means you will finally have the kind of proof that decision makers cannot ignore, and that puts Sheds in a much stronger position when you talk about funding, expansion and long term sustainability.
I want to give a huge shout out to the Belconnen Shed and everyone who has been involved in getting this project off the ground, because your leadership is going to benefit Sheds right across Australia.
You have not only stepped up to represent your own members, you have stepped up to create something that will shape the future of men’s health support nationwide, and I cannot thank you enough for that.
And I want to make it absolutely clear that as Special Envoy, I will be using this research in every room, every meeting and every conversation where men’s health is being discussed, because this kind of evidence gives us real power to drive change.
The reality is that we have lost too many men for too long, and we simply cannot keep going the way we have been.
Far too many blokes suffer in silence, far too many feel alone, and far too many don’t know where to turn when things start to spiral.
Sheds give those men a place to go, a place to talk, a place to rebuild and a place to feel valued again, and that is something we need to strengthen, not take for granted.
Our government is taking men’s health seriously in a way it hasn’t been taken seriously before, and this role gives me the opportunity to push hard for better programs, better access, better support and better understanding of what men actually need.
We are backing research, working with health services, building partnerships and breaking down the stigma that has stopped too many blokes from speaking up.
Everywhere I go, I hear the same message from men, which is that they want to look after themselves, they want connection and they want to talk, but they often do not know how to start, and that is where Sheds do their best work.
When a man feels healthier and more connected, everything around him improves; his family life gets better, his relationships get stronger, his mood lifts, his confidence grows and his community benefits from the stability and strength that comes with good health.
That ripple effect is enormous, and it is one of the reasons I believe so strongly in supporting Sheds at every opportunity.
You are not just helping individual men; you are helping their partners, their kids, their neighbours and everyone who depends on them.
Sheds also play a huge role in helping younger blokes see a different way forward.
When a young man sees older men talking openly about health or checking in on each other without embarrassment, it changes the old ideas about what it means to be a man.
It teaches them that real strength is looking after yourself and your mates, not pretending you are invincible.
You are shaping the culture of tomorrow simply by being willing to show up and support each other today.
I want to make something very clear.
Every Shed matters, whether it has five members or fifty, whether it is full every day or opens once a week, whether it is in a busy suburb or a quiet rural community.
Every Shed has saved someone, supported someone, encouraged someone or given someone a reason to keep going, and that impact deserves recognition and support at every level of government.
As Special Envoy, here is what I want to see.
More investment in community based men’s health programs, more training available for Shed volunteers, more partnerships between Sheds and local health services, more resources to help Sheds expand and reach more men, more recognition of the role Sheds play in suicide prevention and more research to keep us learning and improving.
And I promise you I will keep fighting for all of that, because I believe deeply in what you do and what the Shed movement represents.
Before I wrap up, I want to leave you with three simple things I say wherever I go.
First, get a check up every year and do not wait for something to go wrong.
Second, check in on your mates properly, ask the second question, the real question, because that is often the moment that changes everything.
Third, make one small positive change in your life, whether it is sleeping better, drinking less, moving more or spending more time with people who lift you up, because one change can create a whole chain of good habits.
Standing here today, looking out at all of you, I feel genuinely optimistic about the future of men’s health in Australia, because you are not just talking about change, you are living it.
You are showing up, supporting each other, and proving that when men have the right space and the right mates around them, they can thrive.
Sheds are saving lives every day, and the more we support you, the more lives you will save.
So thank you for everything you do.
Thank you for keeping the doors open, thank you for being there for your mates, thank you for giving men a place to belong and thank you for the difference you make in your communities.
We still have a long road ahead, but with the momentum we have now, the research being built and the strength of the Shed movement behind us, I truly believe we are heading in the right direction.
Look after yourselves, look after each other and never underestimate the impact your Shed has on the blokes who walk through your doors.
You matter, your health matters, and this country needs you around for a long time yet.
Thank you for having me today, it has been a real honour to be here with you.