Blokes, gals get together for workshops

Lower South West residents will get the chance to sit down and engage in meaningful conversations with fellow community members at a pair of upcoming workshops for men and women this month. Gather with Boyup Brook and A Night With The Blokes of Boyup Brook workshops are hosted by Tomorrow Woman and Tomorrow Man, groups which look at the current state, and future, of being men and women. The free two-hour workshops are a collaborative effort by Healthway WA, Boyup Brook Co-Op, Rhodes Pastoral, and Boyup Brook Community Mental Health Action Team (ComHAT). ComHAT founder and chair Renee Knapp, pictured, said the workshops were part of the organisation’s plan for improving mental health and wellbeing in the community. “The Gather and the blokes’ night are about bringing people together to start those conversations about themselves but also about how they can support each other across the community,” she said. “Gather is about coming together as women and identifying what’s going on in society, how that affects the way we feel as women, and allowing every-body to have a voice and to really interact. “Then the men’s night complements that by letting men come together and talk about male stereotypes and challenging them and look at how we can support each other as men when going through difficulties.” Ms Knapp said she simply hoped people came along and enjoyed the experience. “There is no expectation, there’s no right person to be, it’s just about getting together,” she said. “You can listen and not have any interaction, you can speak. “There’s no expectation to speak, it’s just about coming along and having a chance to get together with other people.” The Gather workshop will be held at Dalmore Farm in Winnejup on July 21 from 6.30pm, with the Blokes workshop to be held at the same time on July 22 at Simon Purses Shearing Shed on Stanton Road.