“Just knowing where to go in tough times can be a great first step to changing a life. Our guys and girls working in the forest industry are pretty capable, hardy and resilient types. They have to be to get up in the dark and do a day’s mahi on the hill in all weather,” says Tina Drummond, Health & Safety Manager at log transport company, Pacific Haulage (PHL). 

“The rewards are all around, but no one has been able to escape the recent pressures of uncertainty and lockdowns,” she adds. “The impact on workplaces, and the resultant effect of a tightening economy, mean now more than ever we need to support our people.” 

And that support has come in the form of an updated version of The Hawke’s Bay Blokes Book, a free resource focussing on wellbeing for local men and their families.

Hawke’s Bay charitable Trust, DADS HQ, first launched the book in 2019. It provides a wealth of information on self-care, from leisure and recreation to volunteering, physical and mental health, men’s groups, parenting and separated dads. The booklet aims to make it quick and easy to find relevant information and contacts for health and social services, local community organisations and leisure activities.

“With no specific ‘hub’ for men’s wellbeing in Hawke’s Bay, this resource fills a gap with the information it provides, both in print and online via the DadsHQ website. We know our community is under huge stress and we are keen to get copies into businesses and workplaces,” says Dads HQ manager, Shayne Jeffares.

He says of specific mention is the interest in the Blokes Book within the forestry and transport industries. The first Blokes Book was picked up by Pan Pac and a special print run created for their own use with their branding. With the latest print run, just in time for Men’s health week which runs from 13-19 June, Pan Pac again requested copies and also circulated them to some of their contractors, with interest now coming from other regions around the country and interest in creating a Gisborne edition, with a focus on forestry.

Fulfilling a need

Shayne started Dads HQ in Hawke's Bay after seeing a need to support local Dads more informally, “away from the more formal organisation-type service”.

“Our role is to help Dads to navigate the support they may be seeking in their local community around relationships, communication with their partner and family, parenting or even the need to relocate to the region or seek a referral for support,” says Shayne. 

“We noticed little information available that was relatable directly around Men's Wellness. Unlike other cities, we lacked a Men’s Hub, and many services available were for crisis support. 

“We know men can struggle to find time to stop and think through situations or to reach out for help sometimes due to work commitments or just not wanting to face the fear. This can put pressure on their own wellbeing and those around them, their workmates and family close to them.

So, The Hawke's Bay Blokes Book was created to provide a directory of local support, covering everything from mental health to habits, addiction, being a father, child care and growing older. 

Some 20 businesses came on board to help with costs and see it circulate into the community, from clubs and cafes, to workplaces, as well as those employing men like forestry, trucking firms, and the local Fire Brigade.

7000 copies of this year’s print run are circulating into the community through local businesses and community services.

Shayne mentions his own knowledge of the forestry industry and gives credit to those organisations ensuring the wellbeing of their employees: “Coming from a lineage of forest workers, three generations back in my own family, I am really pleased to be working within the industry to provide our resource to men working in forestry.

“Oftentimes isolated working conditions don’t allow for access to support and help while at work. This resource provides a navigation of local support services, emails and websites, with people ready to support those looking for help. “

Addressing mental health

Aratu Forests CEO, Neil Woods, couldn’t agree more. “Suicide rates are surprisingly high and rural New Zealand guys are a tough bunch. I think there is a need for that support to help break down some of those barriers.

“The Blokes Book has lots of really good material. When I first came across it, I bought 100 copies, gave them to my staff and to our logging and roading contractors. I left them in their containers in case someone wanted to pick it up, rather than making a big deal of it.”

Aratu Forests is now working with Dad’s HQ to produce a local book focusing on help on the Gisborne East Coast region, he says. “We’ve got quite a focus on mental health this year as a business for our contractors, so it continued the momentum. The book is small and easily accessible.

Tina adds: “The Blokes Book is a strong addition to our current Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) offering. It is filled with truck loads of practical and useful information from head to heart to mental health and so much more. I’m excited to see it come to Tairawhiti soon. 

“PHL has been a famil-owned business most of its life and we try to maintain that ethic now that we are corporate. Looking after our team is critical - without them there would be no business. We need our drivers to turn up every day and move wood, without that the business woud not thrive. So like our business, we need our team to thrive. That’s why we are so interested in “The Blokes Book” (I’m sure the female drivers in our team will enjoy it too).

She says just recently she asked their drivers to share what they loved most about their job.  This is what they said:

The scenery and the challenge of weather season and terrain. 

For me it is the magnificent views and the wildlife I see out the window of my office. 

Not one load is the same.

Just me and my truck plus banter with the team. 

What that banter doesn’t always include is a focus on mental health. PHL Operations Manager, Mitchell James, says the Blokes Book should help in that regard: “I would imagine there are plenty of guys out there who probably don’t realise they may have some issues that need addressing, but after reading this book with its variety of content, it may trigger them to acknowledge and act on an aspect of their lives that could do with some improvement.  

“We all know that blokes typically ignore mental health concerns but having a read of this book during rest breaks or other downtime during their workdays could really help a lot of men out there. It would be great to see copies of it in the hands of blokes all throughout the forestry industry, where long work hours and family life add stresses to an otherwise enjoyable lifestyle.”

PHL  General Manager, Campbell Gilmour, agrees: ‘The Blokes Book helps make it easier to ask ourselves and others the hard questions… as well as enabling an individual to stop and reflect once they have read the book on what matters to them and helping them understand what could possibly be influencing their life.

“I think we all agree the world is changing at a great pace and our everyday lives are a lot different now than say a couple of years ago. I’m sure it will be different again in a couple of years’ time. This fast-changing pace puts added pressure on everyone. The Blokes Book helps us all to better understand what is happening in our lives and to understand what could be affecting others around us. We are always looking out for the wellbeing of our families and workmates, and this is another tool to help everyone with this task.”

Shayne has the last word. ‘By publishing this free resource and getting it into the community, our aim is to see men becoming  proactive in their wellbeing and by doing so become better men, partners, and Dads." 

To find out more visit: https://www.dadshq.co.nz/blokes-book/