Tuesday, 4 February 2025

 Richard WELCH (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (14:51): My members statement is regarding the mental health of men. A few weeks ago I popped into the Blackburn RSL and I happened to bump into an organisation called the Nunawading Wargames Association. The NWA cater for everyone: men and women, young and old. They have these intricate models and do war games, re-enacting historical events, fantasy and other things with these beautiful models – very complicated rules. Last week they had quite a large tournament as well, with 90 people crowded in the room playing all these large-scale board games – really wonderful stuff. I have also been engaged with the Surrey Park Model Boat Club and the Waverley Model Railway Club and numerous other men’s sheds. What these organisations have in common is that they are a great way for people, often older men, to socialise, get out of the house and overcome any social inhibitions by doing things together, because in my experience that is how men bond – by doing things. We have mental health days, we even have Movember, but as a society we are still failing many men, who are feeling left behind and lonely in this modern age. I believe it is incumbent on all of us here – members and ministers – to do whatever we can in our power to support these groups that support those men, to stop the scourge of suicide for the young and the old and to beat the loneliness epidemic in our community.