Cluster presenting at AMHF Perth conference

Kim Hopkins is presenting a paper on Male Health Initiatives on the Central Coast. Below is the abstract accepted for the Conference.

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Title

Community Engagement - Central Coast Initiatives for building male role models

Abstract

     The Central Coast Shed Cluster Inc and the Central Coast Men's Interagency Inc have created, implemented and operated a wide range of initiatives that address the role or men in the lives of men in their children, families and the community. The Central Coast is a defined region that has a range of social issues. Some of these are gender specific. These range from high rates of male suicide to the lack of male role models in single parent families. 

     The initiatives are practical, sustainable and focussed on enriching positive role models of men. Initiatives that range from building simple construction projects at community events, to structured progammes with foster carer and respite workers with single parent families. The programs have also developed initiates that address family and community violence and children that use violence at home. Engaging with Aboriginal communities, diverse cultures, socially isolated males and men with disabilities ensures a wide level of engagement for all Central Coast males

    
Initiatives also include boys, with activities at community events, programs at sheds and mentor opportunities with community minded men.

    A strong core of community minded males have built Men's Sheds as a core initiative. These have a normalising effect on the local community that allow the development of a broader range of initiatives. Males accepted in the community of men are accepted in the broader community. Men are then able to address broader social issues that concern themselves and their community. Partnerships with other service providers, social welfare networks and community groups enable a broad reach across the community.  Men are able to address issues to do with their own health, the happiness of their families and with the strength of their community.

Billy cart Derby

A reminder to all those building high quality vehicles for the Ginger Meggs Billy Cart Derby that there are only ten days till race day....

26 June 2011

 start time 9 am

Georgiana Tce, Gosford

have a look at the one Bateau Bay built ..click here

Grants Writing Workshop

DIY Male Health Toolboxes

14 June 2011

The Australian Government is funding DIY Male Health Toolboxes to be sent to men’s sheds around the country.

The announcement by the Minister for Indigenous Health, Warren Snowdon, was made as he launched Men’s Health Week with Australian Men’s Shed Association Patron Tim Mathieson in Canberra today.
“These are actual metal toolbox that will contain a combination of health promotion materials
featuring resources suitable to a shed environment.

“We know that men don’t always feel comfortable picking up a brochure in public – so these promotion materials such as carpenter’s pencils, tape measures, and magnetic clips will be more subtle and hopefully infiltrate sheds with positive health-related messages.”

Mr Mathieson and Mr Snowdon today joined Brumbies players for free health checks provided by ACT Divisions of General Practice at the Sea Scout’s Men’s Shed in Tuggeranong.

Mr Snowdon said he was also pleased to launch a new report funded by the Australian Government and conducted by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) which suggest many males remain at risk of poor health.

“These toolboxes are a timely reminder for men to address some of the very serious issues raised in AIHW’s The Health of Australian Males report.

“This report shows some disturbing data, including that less than five per cent of males eat sufficient fruit and vegetables and two-thirds of adult males are overweight or obese.

“Men need to make a difference to their own health by taking positive health action – now.
“Eat more fruit and vegetables, lose weight, exercise more, think about your mental health and see your GP regularly – this is the call to action for Australian men as part of this year’s Men’s Health Week,” he said.

The AIHW report also found: [see further statistics attached]
nearly one-third have a chronic health condition such as cancer or diabeties; and
Australian men make fewer GP visits than women and only 40% of men discuss healthy lifestyle issues with health professionals

Mr Snowdon said the statistical bulletin provided by AIHW, was the first in a series being funded by the Australian Government.

To improve male health, Mr Snowdon said the Australian Government is providing:

• $10,000 grants to 20 Men’s Sheds for purchasing tools, renovations and support
• $2.2m to support the Australian Men’s Sheds Association to employ staff and develop new opportunities to engage men and their communities
• $6.9 m for Australia’s first national longitudinal study
• $6.8 m to support 13 organisations across Australia to promote the role of Indigenous fatherhood and encourage men to become more active in the lives of their children
• the nation’s first ever National Male Health Policy, aimed at promoting the importance of Australian men looking after their health and wellbeing

“All the work the Australian Government is undertaking is to support men to change their behaviour, both in terms of increasing their willingness to access health care and reducing the risks they take with their health,” Mr Snowdon said.

At the event a new program called “Spanner in the Works’ was launched. It will promote free health checks and guest speakers for Australian Men’s Sheds, through the Australian Men’s Shed Association.
This year’s National Men’s Health Week runs from 13 June - 19 June, with activities planned around the nation to raise the profile of men’s health.

The toolkits will be available from September 2011.

The AIHW report is available to download at:

http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/phe/141/aihw_20110614_12928.pdf

For more information, contact Mr Snowdon’s office (02) 6277 7820

Male Health Statistics

Male Health Statistics (General)

In 2010, there were

• 11.1 million males living in Australia (49.8 per cent of the population).
• The median age is 36 years.
• Life expectancy for males is 79 years compared with women at almost 84 years. Australian Social Trends, released in June 2010 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, revealed that life expectancy for Australian males has increased to over 79 years and that the gap between Australian men and women has narrowed by one year over the past decade.
• Four per cent of males rate their health as poor and nearly half have had a mental health condition, nearly one-quarter have had a disability and nearly one-third have a chronic health condition.

The leading causes of death (2007) for Australian males are:

• Coronary heart disease (17.2%)
• Lung cancer (6.7%)
• Cerebrovascular diseases (6.4%)
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (4.2%)
• Prostate cancer (4.2%)
• Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease (3.4%)
• Colorectal cancer (3.1%)
• While males make up a smaller proportion of GP visits, they make up a greater proportion of emergency department presentations.
• Approximately two-thirds of males participate in sport or physical activity (2009-10)
• Males overall are more likely than females to engage in risky behaviours such as smoking and illicit drug use and are more likely to be overweight or obese.
• Males experience higher mortality rates than women across all ages. Reasons for the mortality differences between men and women are complex and involve the interaction of biological, social and environmental factors.
• Much of this mortality and morbidity is related to disease and injuries that are preventable.

Mental Health Telephone Access Line NSW

NSW Health has introduced a new Mental Health Telephone Access Line across NSW. 

It is being promoted as the Mental Health Line and the number is 1800 011 511.  

Anyone in NSW with a mental health issue can use the Mental Health Line to be directed to the right care for them. 

For example, people on the Central Coast who ring the Mental Health Line will be directed to the local Mental Health Line service (previously known as Central Intake).

FYI - the new Mental Health Line number (1800 011 511) that replaces the old Central Intake number (4320 3500).

PLEASE NOTE:  For a period of time during the transition from the old number to the new number, people calling the old Central Intake number will be automatically diverted to the new Mental Health Line.

Vice-President Darren Maxwell to present at National Gathering in Perth

Darren Maxwell, Vice-President of the Central Coast Shed Cluster Inc has prepared an abstract of a paper for presentation to the National Men's Health Gathering in Perth later this year. Below is the abstract submitted for consideration. 

National Men's
 Heatlh Gathering
2011



The World Federation for Mental Health supports the premise that individuals, in a social and cultural context, are the centre of the caring process.



Care-seeking and care-providing are complimentary activities that provide cohesion between individuals their families and communities. Social and systemic values embody the provision for, and delivery of, community health care quality and sustainability.



The mental and emotional health care need of an individual begins to rely less on family, particularly the mother, as a child approaches teenage years. For young males the requirement that they experience an interactive level of social inclusion with other healthy males is of paramount importance in the development of healthy moral, ethical and social behavioural patterns.



 

Social inclusion begins to play a role in healthy male attitudes as the change from boy to man begins to occur. The years of transitioning from a world of co-dependant child like wonder and imagination to the reality of self determination and survival make the teenage years a dangerous combination of trial and error for many young men.



The Mens Shed movement is ideally positioned to endorse, embrace and promote as a core component of its social inclusion and community engagement strategy, the positive mental health aspects of mentoring and role modelling for young men.



This paper explores how Australian mens sheds can play a key role in the early strengthening of healthy masculine creativity and the development of positive mental health outcomes for young Australian males.

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Abstract: