Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
What do you do exactly?
Well, we offer a variety of weekend adventures, retreats and discovery workshops to suit just about everyone, including custom events. Drawing on my offroad, outback and remote travelling experiences, and my studies in mental health and counselling, we will venture out to make connections with nature and also spend time over the weekend taking the opportunity to discover and make a deeper connection with our inner self.
The guided conversations over the weekends will be based on the strong connections between the adventure, our nature experience and our own life journey.
Who is it for?
Our Drive ‘n Thrive weekends a mostly for men only (aged 16+). However we also offer a range of social days that are open to everyone, including couples and family friendly events.
Why focus on men?
In Australia, 3249 people died by suicide in 2022 – that’s almost 9 people every day! And according to the statistics, men are 3 times more likely to die by suicide than women. They also say that men are nearly half as likely to seek help for mental health conditions. Statistics – Beyond Blue
My own story aligns with that second statistic. If you are like me, you tell yourself you have it all together, yet deep down you know you don’t. It was only after I reached a breaking point that I was forced to stop and try to put the pieces back together. I was fortunate enough to have some friends around me to help, and I also sought some professional help.
Unfortunately men seem to be a ‘forgotten demographic‘ when it comes to federal funding for men’s issues in Australia, and as such the availability of services that target men’s health is somewhat limited. Not wanting to take anything away from the support of women’s issues – they are vitally important that’s for sure!! – but this is our attempt to provide a small service for men.
What about others?
While the statistics are stacked against men, we recognise that we are all in this life together. 1 in 5 Australians will experience a common mental health illness at some point in any 12 month period, and around 50% at some time in their life. We are all susceptible to the belief that mental health will never effect me, or that I have it all together, but that we can all do something to strengthen our resilience and prepare ourselves for what life often throws at us.
Do I need my own four wheel drive (4wd)?
Short answer – No. However, our events are designed as a tag along type tour, meaning you bring your own vehicle and follow along behind the convoy leader.
Your own vehicle is definitely required for the Social Days, however if you are a single or couple without a vehicle we can usually accommodate you in the lead vehicle.
For the Drive ‘n Thrive weekends, most participants bring their own vehicle (and camping gear) because they love to do the driving themselves, and it also allows them to bring a mate, or their son as has also occurred occasionally. We do also have up to two(2) spots available as passengers in the Inner Man adventures Cruiser (including supply of camping gear) on each Drive n Thrive weekend for those that do not have their own vehicle and camping gear. So even of you don’t have your own 4wd or camping gear, if you want to come there is always a spot available.
Are you a Not-for-Profit organisation?
No, we are not. We like to call ourselves “Profit-for-purpose”, where all proceeds are funnelled back into making these experiences as adventurous and positive as possible, all with the aim of making them as affordable as possible. We operate on a standard business structure, purely as a tool for making this great work happen. A venture such as this requires ongoing funds to cover costs such as insurance (four wheel driving is a high risk activity and insurance premiums reflect this), website and marketing costs etc. In the past three years of operation, since its inception, not a single dollar has been paid to the directors/shareholders, with ALL funds going toward running the business.
Can we make a tax-deductible donation?
Unfortunately, as we are not registered as a not-for profit organisation, donations are not currently tax-deductible. We are in the process of exploring options for you to be able to make tax-deductible donations to help sponsor a man to attend one of the Drive ‘n Thrive events, however for now any donation you might be willing to give will be provided with an invoice/receipt for your records. If you are a corporation and wish to sponsor an event or men to attend, please contact me to see how we can work together. Any support, be it donations of dollars, social media exposure, products etc, is greatly appreciated.