Angry Anderson inspires local men to check their health

Pictured: Deb Dziewicki from Rotary Club of Emerald Sunrise, Angry Anderson and Kestrel Mine General Manager Operations John Coughlan.

Australian rock legend Angry Anderson has come to Emerald to share his personal health experiences with males in the community, as part of a local initiative to promote Men's Health Month.

Angry Anderson spoke to 140 guests about his battle to overcome depression and advice on living a healthy life, both physically and mentally.

The event was organised by the Rotary Club of Emerald Sunrise, HHH Partners Chartered Accountants, Hastings Deering and the Rotary Club of Emerald and was supported by the Kestrel Mine Community Development Fund.

Angry Anderson said that the physical and mental health of men is an important issue in regional communities and he encouraged men to talk openly about them.

"The main message I wanted them to understand was that talking about your health and seeking professional help is nothing to be ashamed of," Mr Anderson said.

"They also needed to realise that taking early action is absolutely vital and could be a life-saving decision."

The former front man of rock band Rose Tattoo who has won countless awards including the Australian Medal in 1993 said his own experiences of depression and abuse growing up have led to him being passionate about bringing hope and encouragement to men.

"I suffered from severe depression and was in a very destructive cycle of self abuse for many years but now I work at helping others overcome similar challenges," Mr Anderson said.

"It is important that they have secure friendship networks and get regular health checks to maintain healthy lifestyles.

"It was great talking to the community about their personal stories and experiences and I hope that the event has inspired more males to open up and get any help they might need."

Rotary Club of Emerald Sunrise Club Service Director Col Dziewicki said that the aim of the event was to promote men's health in the community to encourage men to get regular check-ups.

"This is the third consecutive year that we have organised this event, which has been generously supported each time by the Kestrel Mine Community Development Fund," Mr Dziewicki said.

"These events encourage men to act on symptoms or concerns they may be having and seek professional medical assistance.

"We know from past events that this initiative is having a significant impact on the community with some men seeking medical advice after attending and discovering they had health issues that could have been fatal if not detected early enough.

"The event also has positive outcomes on the men's partners and families as they are all encouraged to get regular health check-ups to maintain their physical and mental health.

"Angry Anderson was a great speaker and was very inspirational and engaging with the audience.

"We are grateful that the Kestrel Mine Community Development Fund was able to provide us with $10,000 to have him visit and assist with advertising for the event."

Kestrel Mine General Manager Operations John Coughlan said that the operation is committed to being an active member in supporting the health and wellbeing of the Emerald, Capella and Tieri communities.

"As a large employer of men in the community, we're proud to be the major supporter of this initiative and bring Angry Anderson to the Emerald community to inspire local people," Mr Coughlan said.

"I was pleased to see that his presentation had such a strong impact on the guests and encouraged further conversation and interaction about the importance of men's health.

"Health and safety are core values for Rio Tinto and we will continue to support initiatives like men's health month in the future.

"In Queensland, Rio Tinto Coal Australia partners with local groups and organisations to help build stronger communities through our six Community Development Funds and Aboriginal Community Development Funds.

"Together these funds have invested more than $10M in central Queensland communities with another $4M committed over the next three years."

Please contact Jason Kidger at Platinum Speakers on 1300 314 788 for more information about Angry Anderson.

About Rio Tinto Coal Australia

Rio Tinto Coal Australia has been an important contributor to Queensland's community and economy for over a quarter century and today manages three open cut mines and one underground mine. We aim to achieve shared value with members of the communities in which we operate. Our operations create not only economic value - but value for society by addressing communities' needs and challenges.

In 2011 our operations employed more than 2400 employees and 700 contractors, and spent over $2 billion with more than 1700 Queensland businesses. To date our community development funds have invested more than $10 million into Queensland community projects and partnerships in areas including health, training and education, along with additional investments such as $10 million towards upgrading the Clermont airport. Rio Tinto Coal Australia partners with the community to build stronger, smarter and more sustainable communities around our operations.

ENDS

Website: www.riotintocoalaustralia.com.au/media
Media enquiries: Naomi Jamieson 073624 4159 / 0457 824 672
Email: naomi.jamieson@riotinto.com

Media release - Angry Anderson inspires local men to check their health [PDF: 124 KB]