Lion has today announced it will sponsor Gus Worland’s mental fitness charity Gotcha4Life, funding the rollout of its flagship Tomorrow Man, Tomorrow Woman program across country pubs and clubs .
The program will offer participants access to the training and tools to help build mental fitness by equipping them with the skills to start a meaningful conversation with someone in their life who might need support. The program will be rolled out to participating Lion venues and their teams, as well as their communities.
As venues across parts of the country start to re-open, the program serves as a timely reminder of what patrons have been missing by not being able to visit their local.
Lion’s Head of Sustainability Libby Davidson said the importance of the local pub or club as a ‘third space’ is backed up by research.
“Social connection is at the heart of our business and culture at Lion. The experience of the past 18-months has helped all of us realise that we can’t underestimate the benefits of getting together with people in our communities, to have a chat and connect.
“We were really impressed by the work that Gus and the team do to build mental fitness and now we are really pleased to be able to help bring these programs to more Australians in regional areas.
“Helping people kick-start positive conversations around mental health and the ability to spot and support a friend, colleague or family member who needs to talk about their challenges is an incredibly powerful skill.
“Of course, we know that pubs often are that place where people can connect and have meaningful conversations, especially in rural and regional areas, and we are thrilled to be working with our customers to support them and their communities in this way.”
Worland started Gotcha4Life as a men’s mental health foundation after his involvement in the documentary ‘Man Up’ but has since grown the foundation to build awareness and mental fitness in both men and women.
In launching the partnership, Worland said: “People in rural and regional areas – especially people who live on properties – are isolated at the best of times so the pandemic has really put the pressure on.
“Life on the land is tough and we know that the suicide rate in the bush is higher, per capita, than in the cities. That’s why it’s so important to re-connect people with their local communities and the pub is the perfect place to do this as it’s a natural meeting place.
“Gotcha4Life is all about getting right down to the grassroots to start conversations around what it means to be mentally fit, and how to have vulnerable conversations.
“There is no better place to do this than the pub, and we are beyond grateful to Lion for seeing the lifesaving potential in supporting these events.”