Let's hear it for the boys! The Raising the Bar Foundation, the Man walk and Cin Cins have teamed together to create social events for men in Kiama. The first event will take place at Cin Cin Wine Bar on Wednesday, October 30, marking the start of a monthly series designed to encourage connection and combat loneliness among men in the region.

Founded in 2019 at a Wollongong Burger Bar, the Raising the Bar Foundation has been looking to expand. A statement reads “We are extremely excited to be expanding our Barstool Brothers offering to the men of Kiama and nearby areas. Thanks to a club grant from Kiama Leagues Club, we will be able to host multiple events every month for free, in an effort to help combat loneliness and isolation within men in the region while removing as many barriers as possible.” 

Its mission focuses on three pillars: Community, Programs, and Experiences, all aimed at creating safe spaces for men to connect and communicate openly.

The monthly gatherings will occur on the last Wednesday of each month at Cin Cin Wine Bar, with additional events coordinated by The Man Walk. This initiative includes a walk on the second Friday of each month and plans for a brunch on the third Saturday. They are still on the lookout for someone to host these brunch events. 

Michael Bowden, Cin Cin's owner, crossed paths with Dan Chin from The Barstool Brothers while working at Tafe, and was eager to get involved. "I love the idea, you know, like ‘the man walk’, it was, it was a simple idea. Just get men out walking and talking. This is going to be a similar approach, it's just get them out, give them somewhere to go to come and have a chat, meet a few new mates and that's it. Just keep it simple." he said. 

The importance of creating these spaces for men to connect and socialise cannot be overstated. A survey conducted by men's health organisation ‘Healthy Male’ uncovered that 43 per cent of Australian men were lonely, with 16 per cent experiencing high levels of loneliness. The main age group experiencing this were men aged 35 to 49 with the feelings being a sense of Disconnection, isolation and a lack of belonging. 

Mark Burns, Ceo and founder of ‘The Man Walk’ shared his concerns on the rates of loneliness and isolation and a lack of sense of belonging, “if what ‘man walks’ doing is giving some blokes an opportunity to, in a very simple way, to connect and find a sense of belonging… Then that's a win.”

The Raising the Bar Foundation has successfully hosted over 300 events since its inception, all aimed at improving the well-being of men and their families. They are still on the lookout for local venues interested in hosting monthly brunches, if you are interested in supporting this initiative, make sure to reach out via one the provided links below. 

The first gathering at Cin Cin Wine Bar invites men from Kiama and surrounding areas to come together for a night of good food, conversation and connection. If you're interested in joining them, you can find the event link on Cin Cin's facebook, linked here or just show up!

Event Information:

• Date: Wednesday, October 30
• Location: Cin Cin Wine Bar, Kiama
• Time: 6pm - 8pm

For more information on the Man Walk, you can follow them on socials and join them every Friday from 6am. Follow the Man Walk and Barstool Brothers on social media, or contact the Raising the Bar Foundation directly. You can find the event link on Cin Cin's facebook, linked here