Mate’s tease inspires a male-bonding movement

Empathetic. Motivated. Passionate

Terry Cornick felt uneasy when a friend teased him about being “Mr Perfect” and having it all.

The friend did not know his history or his problems, and Terry wasn’t sure how to talk about them, or the pressure men can feel to be perfect.

“I felt I had lost connection with the world a little when I was going through some struggles,” says Terry.

Mr. Perfect was born when Terry opened up to his mates in the pub, and they had their own troubles to share.

The idea behind the movement is to reduce isolation in men by arranging BBQ get-togethers where friendships can form and people can share their mental health story if they wish.

For Terry, one of the most gratifying things about being voted a Westfield Local Hero is for his efforts to be recognised by his own community.

“It shows there are people who care about what we do.”

Mr. Perfect has meetup BBQs at more than twenty locations around Sydney and New South Wales, but the Northern Beaches is where Terry lives. One of the flagship BBQs is held at the local Freshwater beach.

Terry says he wants his two young sons to grow up in a community where they can reach out socially for support for their mental health should they need to.

Mr. Perfect has also expanded into the digital world and complements its BBQs by offering online support for men and their families through blogs and forums.

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities, with the three top finalists per Westfield centre each awarded a $10,000 grant for their affiliated organisation.

Mr. Perfect will use its grant to fund almost one hundred BBQs at five locations for a year.

“The grant is huge for us. It removes a lot of pressure,” says Terry.

“It means we can multiply what we are doing and support more people in the community. I have grown Mr. Perfect with little resources from one location to where it is now, and have handled all operations, juggling this with a busy life.”

For further information on the Westfield Local Heroes program, click here.