On Sunday, as the warm morning sun rose above the waves at Narrabeen Beach in my electorate of Mackellar, our community came together for the Big Beach Brekky. The brekky was hosted by the Men's Wellbeing Collective, a grassroots network of local organisations united by a shared commitment to help boys, men and the families of the Northern Beaches feel more connected, supported and heard. The collective is built on a simple but powerful idea: no single organisation can reach every person who needs support, but together, as a connected, visible and coordinated network, the group can make sure that every man on the beaches, no matter what age, knows where to turn, has a group to belong to and has someone who will listen to them. Many men, older Australians and members of our diverse communities can carry distress quietly and struggle alone without support. Too often distress is unseen and conversations go unspoken. Sunday's relaxed beachside breakfast gave people the opportunity to have a chat, connect and discover our extraordinary network of local community supports. Sometimes the first step towards better wellbeing starts with a coffee, a bacon and egg roll and someone asking: 'How are you going?'

I want to sincerely thank the wonderful organisations who came together to make Sunday's breakfast possible: Mongrels Men, Man Anchor, Head Above Water, Lifeline Northern Beaches, The Kerry Gleeson Centre, meditationHQ, Breathwork HQ, Northern Beaches Veteran Wellbeing Centre, Sydney North Health Network, PAVE Mentoring, The Men's Table, Mowana, Northern Beaches CARES, Mr Perfect, Odyssey House and the Vipers Run Club. Together these organisations are creating pathways to friendship, belonging, wellbeing and support for men at every age and stage of life. Thank you also to the Northern Beaches mayor, Sue Heins, and Councillors Jody Williams and Sarah Grattan for attending and showing your support for this important community initiative. As the Head Above Water crew put it, Sunday was all about good people and good conversations, reminding us that the power of connection, the strength of community and the simple act of showing up for one another will ensure that nobody feels they have to face life challenges alone.