Our huge thanks to everyone who “pulled up a chair” for men’s mental health at the 2026 MENtal Brekky on Friday, 23 October. The OCA Pavilion was buzzing as more than 180 people came together for a morning of conversation, connection and community.
Special thanks to our guest speaker Sean Bell, who inspired us all with his incredible story of courage, resilience and determination, and to our MC Tim Bone for ensuring the morning ran smoothly.
Thanks also to our major sponsors — the Catholic Diocese of Ballarat Bishop’s Charitable Fund, G.J Gardner Homes, and MDS Accounting and Financial Services — for their support.
And to the generous individuals, businesses and organisations who attended and generously donated prizes for our mega raffle and door prizes, which helped the brekky raise over $20,000 this year.
The proceeds from this year’s brekky has helped roll the Chris Yeung Fund’s total sum raised over the past 11 years to just over $200,000.
The brekky is the major fundraiser for the Chris Yeung Fund, which aims to raise awareness of men’s mental health and provides financial assistance to families in the St Patrick’s College community where the father is suffering mental illness.
The Chris Yeung Fund was created by his former classmates, close friends and family with SPC’s support, in response to “turning a tragedy into something positive” after the death of Old Collegian Chris Yeung (SPC 1975-81) by suicide in 2015.
How the Chris Yeung Fund makes a difference
Since that time, the fund has assisted 15 families and 18 students (some over multiple years), ensuring they can remain enrolled at SPC despite the financial hardship affecting their families brought about by illness.
The fund also funds youth mental health first aid training for SPC staff and students in various year levels via the Live 4 Life program.
Chris Yeung’s eldest son, Oliver, who has been on the committee since its inception, has recently taken on the role of chair, and thanked everyone at the brekky for their support.
“Those numbers (of assistance) are truly remarkable, but what you cannot really quantify is, probably the real measure, is the difference that has made to people’s lives,” Oliver told the crowd.
“Somebody needs someone to believe in them and give them a chance, so I think it’s pretty humbling that we’ve been able to do that and that wouldn’t be possible without everyone in this room this morning and everybody who has been to a brekky in the past, so to all those people who have helped along the way, I want to say thank you.”
He urged everyone to keep the conversations going and to check with your friends and family.
“This year has definitely taught me how important that is, more than ever, so I encourage you have that conversation and don’t be afraid to check in on your mates.”
Guest speaker Sean Bell’s message
Guest speaker of this year’s MENtal Brekky, endurance runner Sean shared an equally inspiring and deeply personal story about resilience, mental health, family, and purpose.
Sean ran 30,964km around Australia in 165 days, averaging a mammoth 84km per day. He broke the national record and raised $177,000 for Make-A-Wish Australia.
The journey required:
- 331 marathon-equivalents
- 30 pairs of shoes
- More than 16.5 million steps
- 130 days of ice baths
- A support crew of 32 people
His key was that although he ran every kilometre himself, the achievement was only possible because of the team around him.
He also spoke candidly about the uncertainty that affected him deeply as a child and teenager living with “two versions” of his father, the death of a footy teammate, running around Australia and experiencing the effects of serious mental health challenges.
Sean told the crowd that every person has an internal battle between keeping everything to themselves or speaking up and asking for help.
In Sean’s case, he chose to work with a psychologist, lean on friends and family and to have honest conversations about how he was feeling.
He stressed it’s okay not to be okay, but it’s important to take ownership of seeking support.
“It is up to us to take ownership of leading that conversation. It’s up to us to take the ownership of that next step in front of us.”
Some of Sean’s key takeaways:
- You don’t achieve big things alone.
- Hard challenges build resilience and reveal character.
- Everyone has an inner battle between fear and growth.
- Mental health struggles should be talked about, not hidden.
- Small steps forward matter, especially during difficult times.
- Compassion comes from understanding people’s stories.
- Asking for help is a strength, not a weakness.
Sean also shared an engaging presentation with our Year 10 students following the brekky.
How you can help
The Chris Yeung Fund is making a difference to the lives of others.
“How do you say thank you with enough emotion so that people can understand the difference this help has made in our lives,” says the mum of a family currently receiving support.
Another family has voiced their heartfelt for CYF helping him to provide a stable, ongoing education at SPC for his son.
“It is an opportunity for (my son) that I just wouldn’t have been able to give him” says the dad who has struggled with his mental health and is not able to work.
You can donate to the Chris Yeung Fund so they can continue their great work by clicking here
