That information, gleaned from the results of a survey completed by a section of the 180 lunch participants, has been used to design a program of events for 2023 with the Kyabram District Health Service network to promote men’s health.
The eighth annual lunch was staged at Kyabram Club in February and a full stop on the 2023 event was completed last week when part of the eight-member organising committee made a record $32,000 cheque presentation to the Kyabram District Health Service.
It was a figure well up on the $28,000 2022 result and continued an upward trend, which organisers are planning to improve on next year.
Kyabram Men’s Longest Lunch chair Nick Curnow said the committee would be looking for new ways to improve its contribution to the health service, but it was difficult because they were limited by capacity.
“We cap the numbers now at 180. When we first started we had 110 people, but the luncheon sells out now,” he said.
Mr Curnow said, at one stage this year, the organisers were over booked.
He and his seven committee members — Andrew Douglas, Tony Hansen, Peter Holman, Steve Vick, Brendan Ryan, Justin Barnett and Duncan Worsfold — made a decision a few years ago that all funds from the lunch would now be directed to KDHS.
Representatives of the KDHS board, along with executive personnel and chief executive officer Anne McEvoy, were on hand to accept the cheque immediately after their April board meeting last week.
Mrs McEvoy said the lunch enabled the health service to build on its men’s health services.
“It allows us to fund our health promotions team,” she said.
The two-member team, which is under the auspice of Primary Health Care manager Ash Watson, will now go to work on organising events.
This year’s lunch featured former Victorian Police homicide and drug squad detective Charlie Bezzina and GV Health prostrate cancer nurse Sonya Strachan.
Channel 10 sports reports Nick Butler was master of ceremonies.
Mr Curnow said the committee would be again looking to lock in a quality guest speaker for 2024, following on from Mr Bezzina and, a year earlier, former Kyabramite and multi-media personality Garry Lyon.
“The locals tend to like the police and law side of things, along with the sportspeople,” he said.
“We have had jockeys and cricketers, however, Sonja (Strachan, prostate cancer nurse) was really great, too.”
Funds from the lunch will be used by the KDHS promotions team to stage an inaugural Kyabram men’s mental health event.
Guest speaker at the Thursday, August 10, event will be Warren Davies, aka The Unbreakable Farmer, while Beyond Blue and the Black Dog Institute will also play a role.
The dinner event will be among several initiatives taken from information provided by the men’s longest lunch through the surveys.
Diet, cooking and exercise, along with heart health and more information on alcohol, smoking and other addictions, were other subjects high on the agenda for the district’s male health.
The KDHS team will develop a targeted social media promotion for men’s health.
Anyone interested in being involved in KDHS schedule of men’s health initiatives can phone Ash Watson on 58570238 or email awatson@kyhealth.org.au
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