Today, Wednesday, November 19, is International Men's Day. It is a day when men are celebrated for the positive value they bring to families, community and society.

In Lismore and the Northern Rivers, it is also a time when men get together to socialise, have a good time and talk through the Salvation Army Northern Rivers International Men's Day Dinner.

The third annual dinner has been growing since it was launched by Captain Philip Sutcliffe from the Salvation Army.

"We just continue to find that there's such a need in our community for spaces for men to be able to connect. And so this year, International Men's Day, is again a really important event for us. It's certainly one of the key events that we hold in the year. It is a community event, it's not about the Salvation Army. It is just actually about providing a space for men to come and to socialise and to have a good time.

"The statistics about men's mental health in particular are extreme. Across Australia, there are ten (10) suicides every single day, and eight of those are men. So, there's so much support that men need. We've grown up in a world and a society where men don't talk, men don't express their feelings, men don't socialise, and we want to change that.

"We believe that every man has a place in our community, and we want to make sure that they actually have a space where they can just relax, have a good, enjoyable night in a safe environment."

Capt Phil said he has seen a huge increase in men this year, who have lost their lifelong partner, and are struggling to adjust to being on their own.

"They are looking for spaces and places that they can actually connect and find friendship, and find new social groups and find new activities to do. You know, they've spent their entire life doing things with their loved one, and then they've passed away.

"There's a gentleman who got connected to us very early on this year, and he came along to one of our monthly men's barbecues that we hold here, and he was sharing the story that, in the week before he'd found out about this event, he was contemplating ways to take his life. And this popped up, and he thought, I might just wait.

"He came along and found some new friendship groups, and he was sharing the story that just from that simple connection, it completely changed his outlook on life. He said he was in a deep, dark place, and didn't think there was anything left for him in this world."

"It's stories like that that really do spur me on to make sure that we've got places for connection in our community. Unfortunately for us here in the Northern Rivers, post all the natural disasters, we've got one of the highest rates of suicide in our country, and we want to change that story. So, International Men's Day is a great way to do that."

The theme for 2025 is 'Supporting Men and Boys'.

"We want to make sure that our generation is part of a cultural change, so that today's men, and the boys growing up around us, actually know that it's okay to be open and to be vulnerable and to share, and that there are plenty of support networks around our community.

"This year, we are open to dads bringing their boys along and setting the example about how we should be living our life as fathers in our community. Our guest speaker this year, James Carson. He was on SAS Australia a couple of years ago, and he's got an amazing life story.

(James Carson. Photo: supplied)

"He grew up on a farm in western New South Wales and was quite overweight. When he moved into the city, he was trying to find a connection and a space to fit in, and got connected into the gym culture, and ended up being addicted to performance-enhancing drugs. His life spiralled out of control.

"He then spent all of these years afterwards just trying to work and rebuild his life. He went from one extreme to the other. He calls himself an occasional actor, and he's been on a bunch of things. He does a lot of social media content and brand promotion and things like that, but he's a fantastic guy who's got an amazing story.

"We are super excited to have him on board. He does a lot for big corporate companies. I know, on the morning of our International Men's Day dinner, he's doing the same presentation for Netflix Australia. He is a really well-regarded guest speaker."

You can be involved in the International Men's Day Dinner by booking through this link. It is a free event, but booking numbers are needed for catering.

"It's a free event completely supported by our business community. They have been very generous with donations of all the food and drinks and everything else that we'll enjoy on the night. We've got lots of Lucky door prizes to give away, James Carson, Chris James, who does a lot of work with the Northern Rivers Voices on Fire community choir. He's our musician for the night.

(Chris James will be playing music on the night. Photo: supplied)

"So it's going to be a fantastic night. Really good food, really good music, really good entertainment. And just a great way for men to connect in our community."

THE DETAILS for the INTERNATIONAL MEN'S DAY DINNER

Date: This Friday, November 21 from 6pm

Venue: The Salvation Army, 30 Cambridge Drive, Goonellabah

Registration: Free via https://www.trybooking.com/DGPMT.

Thanks go out to Brazil on the Grill from Ballina supplying the food, Beach and Bush Distributors in Goonellabah for supplying the drinks and snacks, and the many local businesses who don't want to be named for giving cash donations to make this annual event a reality.

"There's lots of really generous people who just love to support their community. They know who they are. They don't like the shout-out, but we are extremely blessed by their generosity," Captain Phil concluded.