The Boys Have Your Back

For Airlie Beach resident Jj Saleh, establishing the men’s support group was an easy decision, one where he could support and be supported by likeminded men in the region.

“The group allows for a safe space for men to express their feelings, to feel vulnerable, and reintroduce accountability,” Jj explained.

Jj himself is on his own self-healing journey and wished to create a group to foster connection with males, to share and grow.

“I thought it would be good to give back and share what I’ve learnt.”

Having only held a small number of catchups, Jj is excited to grow the group and welcome new men into the weekly meetings.

“I turned to facebook, and had 15 men reach out, however none came to our last meeting for 2023. This caused me to reframe the intentions of the group, because when you come to the group, you’re not just coming for yourself, you’re coming for the other men. You are their support, and you are needed.”

The weekly meetings take place in nature, where breathwork and grounding oneself is critical. This is followed by Individual Share and an accountability pack, a seven-day promise to yourself.

“Everyone shares what they’re going through. And if you don’t want to share, then you have to share why you don’t want to share. This is what brings men together.”

“Female relationships are often the talking to each other, with a task secondary, when, with men, it’s fishing, beers, or sport is the task, and talking rarely happens.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the men who have come along to the meetings, of sharing and supporting each other.”

The group meets weekly, on Thursday evening, 6.30pm, so that members approach the weekend with confidence.

“You know you're supported and you’ve decided your accountability for the week. You won’t drink on the weekend cause you told the boys you wouldn’t on Thursday, that sort of thing.”

To learn more, contact Jj on Facebook or Instagram, @jjsaleh.