New men's group to launch in Murray Bridge to create connection
An introductory dinner will be held at the Murray Bridge Hotel on December 8, offering social connection and support.
A new men's group is calling on local men to come together, share food and create conversations.
A local Men's Table group will launch in Murray Bridge next month at the Murray Bridge Hotel, and organisers are hoping locals and the surrounding region's men will join the dinner.
The national organisation brings together groups of 8-12 men who meet monthly, offering social connection and peer support in a friendly, informal environment.
What started in 2011 as a single gathering of men wanting to talk openly about life has become a nationwide network of more than 260 tables.
John Walker, a project manager at the University of South Australia, has been a member of a table in the Adelaide Hills for two years.
"I have found deep value in being part of my table – not only through the strong friendships I’ve built with the men around it, but also through the genuine support they’ve offered during life’s tougher moments," he said.
“It’s about taking time each month to reconnect, reflect on how life’s been going, and share both the good bits and not-so-good bits with a diverse group of men I might never have met otherwise.”
South Australia will be hosting three new tables, also known as entrees, to give a small taste into what table groups can look like.
Alex Mottee, a clinical psychologist at AB Clinical Psychology and a member of the Men’s Table advisory committee, is committed to providing support to men in need.
“Men’s experiences are highly individual, with many navigating unique personal hardships – from caring for aging parents, coping with estranged children, managing chronic health conditions, to recovering from trauma or serious illness,” he said.
In Australia, one in two men will develop a mental health disorder in their lifetime.
"We know that men with mates live longer and healthier lives, but one in four men report having no close mates and one in three men experience loneliness.
The only cost is your meal, so get some food in your belly and stuff off your chest on December 8.
- Register: themenstable.org/entree-sa.
