On Sunday, 1 March 2025, the Northern Beaches men’s mental health charity, Spoke to a Bloke, held its third annual Spoke to a Bloke Cup in Cromer Park, raising over $12,000 for programs aimed to tackle men’s mental health.
It’s a prelude to the main charity event, Walk for a Bloke, which will be held on 22 March 2025 (more information below) and is attracting Australia-wide and overseas attention despite starting on the Beaches.
Spoke to a Bloke is a locally-built movement started in 2021 after Nick Dunn passed away when he felt he had no one to turn to while battling his mental health.
“When Nick was alive, he organised a walk with four of us to hang out and catch up with his mates,” Nick’s brother, Paul Dunn, told Manly Observer.
“The next year, there were six of us and then Nick took his life in June 2021. His funeral was in the middle of COVID so we couldn’t have the service we wanted because of the restrictions, so we ran the walk, which we called Nick’s Walk, and 107 blokes turned up. The following year it became officially Walk for a Bloke, so everyone could walk for their own ‘Nick’.”
According to Spoke to a Bloke, one in five men experience mental health challenges and men account for seven out of nine suicides a day in Australia.
Spoke to a Bloke Cup
Spoke to a Bloke Cup is a pre-season fundraising event for the community and football teams to get together before the football season kicks off and to start conversations and breaking down stigmas around men’s mental health. The idea came about as Paul, who is a co-founder of Spoke to a Bloke, played or coached for Harbord FC for over 20 years.
From 8:00am until late in the evening, 49 teams from Mosman Football Club, Harbord F.C., Brookvale FC, Curl Curl, ABH United, CC Strikers, Narrabeen and Seaforth F.C. played in 40-degree heat. Off the pitch, there was face-painting for the kids and a BBQ to keep everyone fed.
“The effort from every single player was incredible,” Paul said.
“They ran themselves into the ground in hot conditions, not just for the love of the game, but to support something bigger – raising awareness for men’s mental health. That’s what the day was all about. Football brings people together and the Cup showed how powerful that can be.”
The day surpassed the fundraising goal of $10,000, generating $12,000 to go towards Spoke to a Bloke’s M.I.N.D.S, Co-Pilot, and 121, which provide resources, mentorship and mental health support for men across Australia.
The success of the day meant the world to Paul.
“They say on average, when a person ends their life, it directly impacts 135 people,” he added.
“It can also be so much more. I know first-hand that after my brother took his life, there were so many people in the community impacted: young, old, male, female, friends, workers, neighbours etc. Having the community get behind the Cup and the charity is awesome.”
Walk for a Bloke
Originally, it was called Nick’s Walk, however, once the five co-founders realised the impact it could make, they started Walk for a Bloke. The upcoming event is on 22 March 2025 and is a 25km walk from The Spit Bridge to Watsons Bay. The aim of the day is to bring men together, to check in with each other, share a laugh and chat about the difficult stuff. Spoke to a Bloke want to make sure every bloke knows that it’s okay to speak up and there’s always someone to talk to.
Registrations are open to all blokes (while women can’t participate in the walk, as it’s a space for men to start the conversation with other men, they can purchase a supporter ticket or volunteer on the day).
“On each walkers sleeve there is a space where they can say who they are walking for,” Paul explained.
“The walk has an amazing set of volunteers behind it, predominately women, and we also have a Supporters Ticket open for women to come along to the end location of the walk to celebrate the day and the cause.”
The five co-founders are all connected in some way to Nick’s passing. Paul Dunn, Adrian Dunn are Nick’s brothers, Matthew Sernig is brother-in-law to Paul and Scott, Scott Osbone is brother-in-law to Paul and Matthew and then there’s the treasure, Kenny Tickle, who is known to keep everyone moving forward.
And if you are reading this and cursing yourself for not being in Sydney, Walk for a Bloke, is Australia-wide and even has international destinations on its list. There are over 16 locations in Australia, as well as, London, Brighton, Zurich and more.
You can find more information about Walk for a Bloke here, including registration details.
Finally, if you or someone you know is at immediate risk of self-harm or suicide, please call 000 to get immediate help.
If you need to speak with someone, please contact the following services available 24/7:
Mensline 1300 78 99 78
Lifeline 13 11 14
Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467
For more information on Spoke to a Bloke, check out their website here, or their social accounts: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn
