By Taylah Eastwell
When Josh Martin found out he had won Yarra Ranges Council’s Ian De La Rue Award for Community Leadership, he tried to turn it down.
“I really didn’t want to accept it to be honest, it’s not the reason we do what we do,” he said.
But the humble Wandin North man said he would take it for the 17,000 blokes that he and his team support through the ‘Victorian Brotherhood’ Male Support & Suicide Awareness Facebook community.
“It is great to be acknowledged for things,” he said.
Drawing from lessons learnt during a time he was struggling with his own demons, Mr Martin co-founded the Facebook group as a platform for other men to express themselves, support each other and reach out for help.
With the help of Ben Mac, Des Robinson and Ben Ramage, the men created a platform where almost 17,000 men from various walks of life gather to talk about their lives, feelings and problems in an effort to break through stigma and improve mental health.
“It comes back to a simple conversation, it’s OK to not be OK. The biggest thing with men is taking away that stigma that you’re weak if you put your hand out for help,” he said.
“We are told men don’t cry, boys don’t do this, but it’s not the case, we are all human.
Mr Martin has personally assisted a number of local men and young people, who had talked about taking their lives.
With help from his team of three admin and 12 moderators on the page, Mr Martin said they “probably call triple zero for welfare checks on average of three times a day for people reaching out for help”.
“In 2018-19 it was eight men per day succumbed to suicide, and that was just counting the men,” he said.
Mr Martin and the team have done community work in helping the homeless, given out food vouchers, bedding and clothing, and has run gratitude sessions with hundreds of local men talking about things they are thankful for in life.
They have raised money for veteran suicide, for families struggling to put food on the table and for those experiencing homelessness throughout the Yarra Valley.
They have also financially assisted single fathers, such as by providing vouchers at Christmas time to allow dads to buy gifts for their children, and funded drug and alcohol programs for those struggling with substance addiction.
Mr Martin said their financial assistance totals over $12,000 that has gone back to local people in need, with money raised through selling ‘Victorian Brotherhood’ merchandise and generous support from sponsors backing the cause.
He has also set up long-term support for four family’s in the Yarra Valley who had a loved one end their life.
“Everybody is always around when someone passes away for a week or two, our goal is to be around long-term,” he said.
Mr Martin runs Zoom support sessions for men four days a week, alongside Vaughn Williams, under the slogan “Raise a Pen”.
“If someone commits suicide everyone says raise a glass. We say raise a pen and write down your issues and your experiences and together we can share those notes and work on those together,” he said.
Mr Martin was also a CFA volunteer, with 17 years service to the CFA and six years as captain to the Badger Creek Fire Brigade.
“I don’t look at it like I should get an award or medal or write-up in the paper. I’ve been to the lowest of lows, what I do is just to let people know that there are still people in the community that love and care,” he said.
