Blokes Group

See this as posted at F&CVPP BLOG



The Family and Community Violence Prevention Project ended July and started August with a fantastic meeting of the BLOKES Group at the Peninsula shed. Peninsula BLOKES group facilitator Eric Valters has been in contact with local support services, doctors, health centres etc and distributed posters and flyers raising awareness of the need for men to be mindful of their emotional health requirements in these changing times.



Eric (community work volunteer) received special attention from a particular Doctors surgery in Umina and was invited back to discuss the BLOKES group with the Doctors the next day. They were very positive about the BLOKES group initiative.



The August 1st meeting of the BlOKES group at Peninsula shed attracted 7 attendees. Most importantly the age groups of the men attending varied from 21 to 70. With one coming all the way from the entrance to be involved in the Specific Dynamic of the BLOKES group meeting.


Mens emotional health needs can, at times, take on a higher priority than physical health needs.


As men we are aware of issues that can trigger emotional responses.  


The BLOKES groups in mens sheds initiative deals specifically with emotional health needs.


The BLOKES group role in helping to reduce the incidence of family and community violence is best recognized as men helping each other to create an atmosphere of understanding and support of male specific issues through experience and male cultural bonding.


The opportunity to deal with male specific cultural issues in this BLOKES group format has been found very useful to address a wide range of male specific emotional health issues in the past but it has not been given priority support by community service providers on a regular or ongoing basis.


The Blokes Groups in Mens Sheds initiative is Co-ordinated  by the Mens Sheds Central Coast Family and Community Violence Prevention Project 2011-2013.


A very BIG Thanks to Eric, Peter and Richard and all the Guys a the Peninsula Shed for helping to get the BLOKES Group up and running on the Central Coast.


The BLOKES group blog site can be found at  BLOKES Group