When Blacktown Workers Club backed a program helping young men navigate the pressures of growing up, the results spoke for themselves. And so did the staff who literally walked the walk.
Teenagers today are growing up in a world that feels more complex than ever. Many young men are navigating social media pressures, difficult home lives, while also trying to make sense of identity and masculinity. Too often, they have nowhere safe to talk.
Top Blokes Foundation is trying to fix that. And they’re not doing it alone.
Last year, Blacktown Workers Club gave close to $20,000 through the ClubGRANTS program to support Top Blokes’ work in local schools, including St Luke’s Catholic College in Marsden Park and Plumpton Public School.
Top Blokes goes into high schools and runs group programs for young men. The sessions cover topics like respectful relationships, managing emotions, risk-taking, and the influence of pornography. One of the biggest messages they teach is that asking for help is a strength, not a weakness.
Kate Bridgford is Top Blokes’ regional coordinator for North-Western Sydney. She’s seen firsthand what happens when young men are given a safe space to be honest.
The Top Blokes program has seen shifts in attitudes around respect and masculinity
“Across schools in the Blacktown area, the most noticeable impact has been the creation of a safe, consistent space for young men to talk openly about things they often don’t get the chance to unpack elsewhere,” she says. “Many of these students are navigating pressures at home, culturally, socially, and emotionally, and Top Blokes provides a structured environment where they feel heard.”
Schools have seen better engagement and stronger relationships between students and staff. But Kate says the smaller changes matter just as much.
“One of the biggest changes we see is in how young men communicate. After completing the program, many are more willing to ask thoughtful questions, challenge unhealthy norms, and talk more openly about respect, relationships, and emotional regulation. Conversations that might once have been brushed off with humour or deflection become more genuine and considered.”
She’s also noticed students are looking out for each other more.
“We see an increase in peer support. Students are more likely to check in on one another and call out behaviour that doesn’t align with the standards they’ve set during the program.
“Even small changes, like the language they use or their willingness to pause and reflect before reacting, indicate a deeper shift in attitudes around masculinity, respect, and responsibility.”
The results from Top Blokes’ 2025 programs across NSW and QLD show just how much the work is landing. After completing the program, 81% of participants said they were a better friend, 75% felt better at controlling their emotions, 73% said they were doing better at school, and 71% said they now stop to think about risks before taking them.
Workers Lifestyle Group has long supported Top Blokes through its local clubs like Blacktown Workers. For Group CEO Shelley Fletcher, the decision to support Top Blokes was simple. The need is right on their doorstep.
“We see first-hand the growing mental health challenges in our community,” she says. “The rates of distress, self-harm, and suicide, particularly among young men, are not just numbers. They’re the lived experiences of the people our members, staff and neighbours care about every day.”
Thanks to the ClubGRANTS funding, Top Blokes has been able to work with around 150 young male students across Blacktown schools. At St Luke’s alone, 26 young men finished the program and showed real improvements in how they handle emotions, make decisions and treat others.
“Workers Lifestyle Group is more than a venue; we’re a community organisation with a responsibility to help with real issues affecting local families,” Shelley says.
The ClubGRANTS donation showed the club’s commitment. But what the staff did in October last year showed something even more personal.
Twelve Blacktown Workers employees signed up for the Top Blokes ‘Lift the Load’ campaign. They strapped on 10kg weighted vests and set out to walk 50km across the month of October. Instead of spreading the kilometres out over weeks, the whole team came together in one day and walked laps on the club’s rooftop until they hit their target.
Together they raised over $10,000. “For our team, it was personal,” says Shelley. “Many have experienced mental health challenges themselves, or know someone affected. Their participation showed this partnership is something our people genuinely believe in.”
Kate is quick to acknowledge what this kind of support means for the work Top Blokes can do on the ground.
“The support we receive from any community group helps us be part of a community all working together to help young males lead healthy and safe lives,” she says. “Blacktown Workers Club is no different. The funds allow us to work with local schools in the area and support the community and its young people.”
As pressure on young men continues to grow, partnerships like this one are proving that the right support at the right age can change lives.
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