Last week, Menslink was the 2014 recipient of the “Little Feet Big Steps” award from the ACT Council of Social Services and benkmecu. This award recognises a small organisation that is taking big leaps in the provision of service delivery to Canberrans experiencing disadvantage.
With only six permanent staff (four of them full-time), Menslink is a small organisation by any one’s standards. Yet with a tiny crew and a small budget, they have managed to make a tremendous impact amongst young men and their families across the ACT and region.
This year alone, they will deliver some fifty Silence is Deadly sessions to around nine thousand students. Together with the Brumbies they’re making a real difference to young guys across Canberra.
Our two counsellors will provide over a thousand counselling sessions to nearly five hundred young men aged from twelve through to twenty five. They see young guys in ten schools across Canberra, as well as making weekly visits to see young detainees in AMC Detention Centre (where the male:female prisoner ratio is a staggering 24:1).
And finally our team of dedicated volunteer mentors provide guidance, support and friendship to nearly fifty young teenage guys – young men who might be socially isolated, in need of a positive role model and who mostly come from single mum households.
This award is a recognition of the fantastic work performed by our dedicated staff and volunteers, and the financial support provided by our sponsors. Little feet, big steps indeed.