Tradies ready to start conversation
Agroup of Wimmera ‘tradies’ are donning brightly coloured and patterned workwear, and want people to stop and ask them why.
Horsham’s Bugroff Pest Buster technicians and staff are slipping on the eccentric hi-vis tops every Friday as part of a men’s suicide prevention campaign through Trademutt.
The Australian workwear brand makes the ‘loud and vibrant’ shirts as a catalyst to start conversations about mental health in men.
Bugroff’s office manager Rebekah Pfeiffer said staff had worn the shirts with pride every Friday since September, following her attendance at a mental-health workshop lead by Trademutt’s founders.
She said the bright colours and slogan ‘this is a conversation starter’ on the back of the shirt had created many questions and conversations between staff and Horsham district community.
And she said the team was now on a mission to spread the campaign across the region.
“It’s a very real message and it makes people want to know what the shirts represent,” she said.
“Mental health is a big issue everywhere.
“Here in Horsham and surrounding towns there would not be many people who have not personally been affected by suicide, as well as the impact to those who are left behind.
“We are aiming to get as many businesses in the trade industry on board to dedicate Fridays to wearing the Trademutt shirts.
“We want people to really take the time to start the conversation with whoever they might come in contact with.”
Trademutt co-founders Dan Allen and Ed Ross said they hoped the shirts would encourage a cultural shift in ‘Aussie blokes’ that was necessary to effectively lower the suicide rate in Australia.
They have partnered with This is a Conversations Starter Foundation and will donate five percent of profits from workwear sales towards the free text service that provides people with access to qualified psychologists.
Ms Pfeiffer said people could visit the TradeMutt website trademutt.com to find out more, order the bright coloured workwear and ‘keep the conversation going’.