TWO Mandurah residents will continue to plan mental health hubs for men in the Peel Region, part of their not-for-profit organisation Squared Away Inc.
Founding members and mentors Dave Schumacher and Craig Waterman cemented the idea in December 2017.
“If you are suffering depression, anxiety, and loneliness or even estranged from your family, there is nowhere to turn without endless appointments and assessments,” Mr Waterman said.
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Mr Waterman said a Singaporean philanthropist had generously donated an eight acre piece of land.
“It will be a place where men can go and spend time and chat, have a barbeque and a camp fire.”
Mr Waterman said plans for a five-acre property, to be turned into an office, work skills area and accommodation, were almost complete.
“We have plans for the house to be used as short term accommodation, an everyday workplace for the foundation as well as a training area,’’ he said.
Mr Waterman, who mentors based on his first-hand experience with depression, said he wanted to create spaces where men felt comfortable to talk about their issues.
“It’s all about those with first-hand experience with mental health issues, helping those with those issues get the help they need,” he said.
“If a guy has an issue going into agencies in town, they can come here and we can help an agency find them,” he said.
The father of nine said they were already helping five men who were recently involved in driving trucks for Halo, picking up furniture and dropping it off for those less fortunate.
According to Mr Waterman, they were seeking full approval from the Shire of Murray.
Shire president Davd Bolt said the council was fully supportive of Squared Away Inc. and their efforts to create a solid support network for men and boys throughout the Peel Region.
Mandurah MLA David Templeman also supported the initiative and said he would attend a meeting to gauge what Local and State Government might be able to provide in the future.
To find out more about Squared Away Inc. go to https://squaredaway.org.au/