Stay In The Loop With Lucy

Refugee Champion and State finalist for Australia’s Local Hero 2016 is interviewed by Lucy Dahill for 2HHH

Summertime 6 brought the studio to life...the first of many I hope over the coming years. I so enjoyed getting to know them and hearing more about how they came together, what it is like busking, being in a band together and how they play by feel rather than to a prescriptive text. They are a genuine team - very inspiring.

In this episode I have interviews about the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Womens Shelter, the Soroptomists, and a number of other participants from the 2016 Hornsby Walk the Talk. Also highlighted this week is an interview with Zohara Mendes who spoke about the work she is doing raising awareness for her generation about domestic violence.

Hornsby took to the streets on Friday to mark the start of 16 days of activism against gender based violence. White Ribbon Day was a perfect start to raise awareness as we 'Walked the Talk'. Hear many of the participants talk to Lucy about why taking a stand against gender based violence matters to them.

Adam Warburton talks about what is taken as normal in the building industry and asks if it is contributing to mens poor mental health. He asks us to question what we have taken as normal and if the pull to making it all about deadlines and costs is at the expense of a precious and limited human resource.

The presenters of Show Us Your Motor on 2HHH talk with Lucy how they see themselves on International Men's Day and some of the issues we should be discussing

Megan Andriessen talks to Lucy on International Mens Day about some of the behaviours that can be used as coping mechanisms and mask underlying problems. Megan explains the programs they run and how men can build emotional intelligence to be better able to connect with and then communicate how they feel.

Paul Schiebaan spoke to Lucy about the Ku-ring-gai mens shed and its role in the community.

Julian Leeser spoke to Lucy about the inaugural speech made in parliament that put suicide awareness, mental health and depression on the national agenda. He shows how he is dedicated to making a difference and being an active participant in the change.

Tom Harking talks to Lucy about what masculinity is, what ideals and images men try to live up to that actually cap their expression. Tom gives some great and very practical advice on how to role model healthy expression - dare I say it...not always having the answers!

Gus Worland talks about the masks men wear and the importance of taking them off in order to improve mens mental and physical health. No time to lose. This interview is taken from the Stay in the Loop with Lucy Show on the great ABC show Man Up. for more information on the show check out the man up website.

The panel for International Men's Day on 2HHH included local GP Dr Geoff McGrath, local counsellor David Citer and exercise specialist Stephen Gammack. The topic - How is men's health affected by their wellbeing?

Kidney health is often overlooked but today we jump right in the deep end with John Lee understanding how he came to have no kidneys for the majority of his life and how he has become so sensitive to what affects his body. Discussion includes organ donation and the process of dialysis and the relationships that are made in those situations.

The Stress Less Future Problem Solving team from Mount St Benedict were in again today to tell us about their win in America and where to now. It is the start of Children Week 2016 this week and the theme is 'Children have the right to reliable information from the media.' I discuss with Nadia Kudiarskyj the ways the media influences and how we can be the influencers.

An interview filled show with Gus Worland talking about the importance of living without the masks of stoicism and self reliance and instead be the tender, caring sensitive men they truly are who are strong and engaged with life. Professor Jane Pirkis talks about he research surrounding the ABC show Man Up and her 10 to Men research and David Hollier takes us up close and personal with Gambling Awareness and the support available through Lifeline.

In ABC's series Man Up, Gus Worland asks why so many Aussie men are committing suicide. What he discovers is a debilitating pattern of men wearing masks to hide their feelings, championing stoicism, self-reliance, not sharing feelings nor expressing emotion. Gus looks squarely in the face of these masks and gently encourages them to be removed and he leads the way by showing how to be a strong man who is sensitive, caring and unafraid to connect with people and how they are and wait for the answer. In short, he can see the importance of being a role model and walking the talk.

Professor Jane Pirkis is the Director of the Centre for Mental Health in the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health at the University of Melbourne. She is a psychologist and epidemiologist with an interest in ways of improving mental health and preventing suicide. Recently, her attention has turned to novel, media-based interventions that might be beneficial. Working on ‘Man Up’ has been a highlight for her, and has convinced her of the power of documentaries to change the way people view themselves and those around them.

Ashleigh Bell and Lucy Dahill ask what is really going on under the rising rates of obesity and overweight? Is it possible they may have found a great idea for how to turn the tide? They have definitely come up with a list of what not to buy your class teacher and vet as a present!

Elizabeth King graduated yesterday - a double degree Arts/Law with honours! In amongst all of that Elizabeth has a passion for human rights and social justice. She has pursued that passion by working with various NGOs and businesses across the human rights and environmental sustainability sector. She has recently returned from a three month internship in the Office of the Co-Prosecutors at the United Nations Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials in Cambodia. This is an interview about her experience - well worth a listen

​In this episode we covered the Boyer Lecture 2016 at the ABC with Professor Sir Michael Marmot, marriage plebiscites and other perhaps more financially sound alternatives as well as the inconsistencies of the lock out laws and who they apply to. It was jam packed and that was before my interview with Tamer Morris from Normanhurst Uniting Church who is directing their production of The Importance of Being Earnest. Check it out - all proceeds go to The Dish, a support service feeding the homeless in our local area.