Northland suicide prevention charity Men-Tall wants men to change their narrative

Manu Vatuvei, the former league star jailed for drug importation who turned his life around behind bars, was one of the keynote speakers at The Men-Tall Health Club's black-tie event.

Globally, one man dies from suicide every 60 seconds.

But Northland charity The Men-Tall Health Club wants to turn around that statistic, with its grass-roots movement encouraging men to change the narrative about what it means to be a “real man”.

A live men’s suicide counter, going up every 60 seconds, was one of the features of the trust’s black-tie evening held at Whangārei’s Semenoff Stadium on Saturday.

Founder Mitch Thompson said the second annual event was about raising awareness of The Men-Tall Health Club and the suicide statistics it has pledged to change.

He started Men-Tall in 2018, originally as an Instagram page to share his own troubles, as he dealt with the grief of losing a cousin.

During Covid lockdowns, Men-Tall expanded into online meetings as a forum for men to chat.

Now, the organisation is a registered charitable trust, with weekly face-to-face meetings in Whangārei’s Kensington and plans to expand with a weekly meeting in Te Kamo.

Thompson also hoped it would be able to expand into Kaipara soon.

As well as the weekly meetings, which he described as a giant talking circle, Men-Tall helps connect men with professional services when they need them.

None of those involved with Men-Tall are trained healthcare professionals - which Thompson believed was part of its charm.

“We’re all volunteers with lived experience. That is part of why it’s so successful; we can relate to what poeple are going through,” he said.

“We men are useless at talking about our emotions and what’s going on ... The suicide statistics speak for themselves.”

A total of 126 people attended the black-tie event on Saturday, including Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo.

Manu Vatuvei, the former Warriors star who was jailed for methamphetamine importation, spoke about his life story, including turning his life around in jail.

The other keynote speaker was “Brown Buttabean” Dave Letele, who was one of the country’s top boxers and went on to be a community leader with motivational programmes and foodbanks.

Thompson said both talked about their personal journeys and the importance of men having good mental health and wellbeing.

“The event was awesome... We had a great response and great feedback.”

Planning is already under way for next year’s black-tie event, he said.

While the organisation’s website is currently down, people can email hello@mentall.org.nz for more details about the charity, including the men’s group sessions.

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.