Well, what can I say about the Mibbinbah Gariwerd training camp; it was more of a healing camp for all present. A number of personal stories were told over the weeklong event and some surprised even the closest people to those who were sharing their stories. It was one powerful and emotional week for all concerned and as some have commented; ‘life changing.’

The staff at Tandara Lutheran camp were fantastic hosts and made us feel welcome and special, even after a wayward boomerang went smashing through a window “eh Paulie”

The venue was set with the perfect backdrop of Gariwerd (the Grampians), the surroundings were absolutely beautiful and very spiritual.

In all there were 46 participants, down a little on what we were expecting but due to a few minor issues some lads were unable to attend. There were lads from all over Australia and  all walks of life including CEO’s, Doctors, field workers and the homeless just to mention a few.

The sessions were varied and interesting though at times got a little off track, the Lads had a chance to air their beliefs and feelings, confirming the power and healing nature of a safe place. It’s truly amazing what these fellas achieved during this camp.

There were many highlights of the week although a standout for many was the recording of Mibbinbah’s new theme song titled “Say Mibbinbah” which was recorded onsite by the lads with the help of the Indigenous Hip Hop mob. Stay tuned for its release on the Mibbinbah website.

The camp was well supported by Mensline, beyondblue, Indigenous Hip Hop projects, The Prostate cancer foundation of Australia and Andrology Australia. We thank these organisations for their participation, attendance and resources.

We all left feeling rejuvenated but a little tired, the weather was fantastic but demanding and hitting 35 or over on most days.

We are now ready to start our evaluation of the camp and see what was achieved and what changes can be made to ensure our camps continue to positively impact on individuals, families and communities lives. We have some great footage and over 3 ½ hours of interviews with the lads again expressing some very powerful yarns that will be invaluable to this evaluation. This footage is also powerful proof that what we are doing is working and a great resource to present to funding bodies so we can continue to run and facilitate these types of camps.

I would just like to thank everyone who participated and a huge thanks to Charlie, Rick, Paul, Tommy and especially Cass for all their hard work in leading up to and through the camp, without their help and guidance I might not have made it through the week.