We’re halfway through Lift the Load for Mental Health, and the stories coming through have been pretty special.

People are honouring loved ones. Giving back. Paying it forward. Checking in on mates. Workplaces and schools are taking it on as teams, while thousands of individuals are putting on the vest and doing it their own way.

So far, more than 3,500 people have joined us, and together we’ve raised an incredible $610,000 for young men’s mental health.

Last week, our team got out and about too, taking on 50km for $50k on the Central Coast.

Led by Top Blokes Ambassadors Kieran Foran and Dr Justin Coulson, we were joined by Mick Ostini from Impact Gym, NRL legend Justin Horo, Liam Foran, Matt Vella, the legends at Woy Woy Rugby Club and Jai – one of the very first young men to ever take part in Top Blokes and Caiden – one of our current Top Blokes. And countless other legends who popped in along the long route. And don’t forget our Founder and MD, Mel also clocked up the kms with Dan too.

The community support was huge. The conversations were real. And the passion for backing boys and young men was fierce.

To everyone who has walked, donated, shared, checked in on someone, or rallied a team around them, thank you. You’re showing young men they don’t have to carry everything alone.

There are 15 days left.

We’ve already come a long way.

How far can we go together?

#liftheload #youthmentalhealth #topblokes #mentoring …

342 3

What happens when a boy who`s looking for belonging finds it in all the wrong places?

Last night, our team attended the premiere screening of @abciview’s The State of Man. And it left us with a lot to think about.

Boys are growing up trying to work out who they are. What they believe. What it means to be a man. Where they fit in. And while they`re figuring all that out, there`s a whole online world ready to give them the answers. And some of those answers can be incredibly harmful.

What really stayed with us were the young men who shared their stories. How they got drawn in. Why those messages felt appealing. And how people who cared about them helped them find their way out.

We know connection matters. Having someone who listens without judging matters. Having someone who keeps showing up matters.

But this is bigger than any one program, parent or school.

We need a new playbook for raising boys. And we`re all part of it.

Thank you to the ABC and @marcfennell for approaching these conversations with such empathy and care.

We encourage everyone who cares about young people to watch The State of Man on ABC iview.

#TheStateOfMan #TopBlokes #PositiveMasculinity #YouthMentalHealth

And then keep the conversations going.

#TheStateOfMan #TopBlokes #RaisingBoys #PositiveMasculinity …

24 1

Prevention isn’t just about changing behaviour. You have to change the conditions that shape it.

Over the past few weeks, Top Blokes has been part of important conversations across Queensland – from the Queensland Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Council and Primary Prevention Symposium to community conversations in Bundaberg.

Our Founder and Managing Director Melissa Abu-Gazaleh also joined a panel hosted by the Women’s Health and Equality Queensland to share what we’ve learned from listening to and working alongside boys and young men.

Prevention starts early. It starts in the conversations boys are having about mateship, relationships, respect, masculinity, pornography and who they want to become.

At Top Blokes, we believe lasting change also means helping schools, communities, services, and systems better understand what young people need to thrive.

Young men tell us every week matters. Their experiences help shape better support. Better prevention. Better conversations. And better decisions about the world around them.

@mattvels, our Regional Coordinator who also sits on the Council, puts it perfectly: "Change happens when communities lead it." We`re pumped to be part of these conversations and help young people`s voices be heard.

#TopBlokes #PrimaryPrevention #SystemsChange #YoungMen #YouthMentoring #HealthyMasculinity …

58 2