Vote for the 2022 Indigenous Men’s Health Award
Updated July 22: Voting is now closed for nominees shortlisted for the Indigenous Men’s Health Award in the 2022 Men’s Health Awards, presented by the Australian Men’s Health Forum.
Following a record number of nominations across Australia, these shortlisted candidates were determined by AMHF’s judging panel, who will select a national winner. We'll also be inviting a panel of Aboriginal Men's Health Workers to select the winning individual or organisation in the Indigenous Men's Health category.
A State/Territory winner including all five categories in the 2022 Men’s Health Awards will be selected by “People’s Choice” based on public votes.
Indigenous Men’s Health
AMHF has a long-term commitment to working alongside Aboriginal Men's Health Workers and highlighting some of the great work that's being done to promote the social, emotional and physical wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and boys.
Those shortlisted for the Indigenous Men’s Health Award are:
Brian Dowd/The Walkabout Barber (NSW)
Brian Dowd is the brains behind the "Walkabout Barber", a mobile barber and trauma support service that provides support to rural and remote communities. Brian is a suicide survivor who spent three years undergoing a range or rehabilitation programs and workshops after recovering from an attempt on his own life. He then trained in trauma counselling before setting up Walkabout Barber Enterprises in Warners Bay around 4 years ago.
In the year before the COVID pandemic, Brian delivered haircuts to more than 2,000 men across 35 communities. Brian says: "A lot of men are finding the barber chair a magical chair, they can sit in and let their guard down. It's like they get given permission to do that when they're in a barber space now."
Find out more: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-24/fresh-cuts-and-fresh-minds-walkabout-barber/11893728
Alan Thorpe (VIC)
Alan Thorpe is Director and Facilitator at the Dardi Munwurro Aboriginal family violence service. He has 25 years’ experience of working with the Aboriginal community in Victoria.
Dardi Munwurro was established in 2000 to provide group leadership training programs tailored to Aboriginal men and youth. The programs are designed to assist Aboriginal men and youth to identify their emotions and personal strengths, and in doing so, discover their own responsibility. They support the men to express purpose and develop a vision for their future.
Recent research by Deloitte Access Economics found that each dollar invested in Dardi Munwurro is estimated to provide a return on investment of 50-190 per cent. In particular, it found that among Dardi Munwurro clients the rate of incarceration decreased from 13 per cent pre-program to 4 per cent post-program, with every avoided case of incarceration creating a saving to government of more than $90,000 each year.
One of Alan’s supporters said they are backing Alan's nomination because he has been the key person holding up the organisation's vision for more than 20 years.
Find out more at: https://www.dardimunwurro.com.au/
Brodie Germaine (QLD)
Brodie Germaine is a proud Pitta-Pitta & Wakaya Man who was born and raised on Kalkadoon Country, Mount Isa, QLD. Brodie works full-time at an Aboriginal Medical Service as a Family Wellbeing Worker in Mount Isa, Doomadgee, Burketown and Normanton as well as running his own Personal Training business - Brodie Germaine Fitness.
Len Yarran (WA)
Len Yarran is a Wadjak Noongar elder who has worked extensively in education, and devoted much of his life in assisting the local Aboriginal men's community in Balga, WA. He is recognised for his work to improve the health and wellbeing of local aboriginal boys and men.
In 2013, Mr Yarran was part of the team that founded Wadjak Northside, a resource centre and community group dedicated to improving indigenous lives in the northern suburbs of Perth. Len has run a variety of health and wellbeing men’s programs including for The Tree of Life program for boys and the Maarmun's Mia Men's Hub.
Find out more: http://www.wadjaknorthside.org.au
Angela Sloan (SA)
Angela Sloan is a Ngarrindjeri woman who works at Mount Gambier prison, where she supports the Indigenous prison community and their families.
Angela has also worked with Pangula Mannamurna Inc (Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation) in Mount Gambier, running Lateral Violence workshops for the community and served as a committee member on the “Treasuring Life, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Action Plan.”
One or her supporters says that "Angela works in Mount Gambier prison and constantly goes above and beyond with art projects, health expos and encourages visitors to the prison [and] works tirelessly to bridge the gap, promotes good health choices and builds connections with community."
The Healing Foundation (ACT)
The Healing Foundation is a national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation that was founded in 2009 to partner with communities to address the ongoing trauma caused by actions like the forced removal of children from their families.
It provides a platform to amplify the voices and lived experience of Stolen Generations survivors and their families and places a strong focus on advocating for the importance of Men's Healing and Women's Healing. They say:
"When men’s healing programs are designed and led by First Nations peoples, remarkable things can happen. By reconnecting with cultural values, restoring identity, and building positive family and community relationships, community-led men’s healing programs are recognising the centrality of self-determination and the strengths of First Nations cultures."
Recent work promoting the value of Men's Healing includes a detail cost-benefit analysis of the Dardi Munwurro men's program, which found that governments stand to make significant savings if they invest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-led men’s healing programs.
Find out more: https://healingfoundation.org.au/community-healing/mens-healing/
Hoops 4 Health / Tim Duggan (NT)
Timmy Duggan was the first person from the Northern Territory to play in the National Basketball League. He is Darwin bred with family connections to the Warramungu people of Central Australia and the Nykinya people of the Kimberley.
In 1995 he founded Hoops 4 Health, a social and emotional health and well-being program using basketball to improve the lives and health of Aboriginal men and boys through a range of initiatives. These include delivering 500 sessions to youth in the Don Dale detention centre; connecting with 10,000 youth in remote communities and providing weekly sessions for 10-16 year old’s living in Darwin through Hoops 4 Health Academy.
Timmy is also manager of the Mundine Mindset Program and in 2022 Hoops 4 Health was the winner of the Suicide Prevention Australia Communities in Action Award for the Northern Territory.
Find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkCus1F0GFk