FORGE is an Australian initiative built on the working principles of behaviour change. Not generic awareness work. Not clinical treatment. Structured programs, practical tools, and a peer community that targets the missing layer between awareness and care.
Australian men's mental health infrastructure is structurally incomplete. The awareness layer is mature. Movember, R U OK?, Beyond Blue. The clinical layer is mature. GPs, psychologists, psychiatrists. Between them, a missing middle: the layer that builds capability in men whose lives aren't quite working but who aren't in clinical crisis.
The suicide statistics have barely moved in twenty years. Three-quarters of Australian suicides are male. The leading cause of death for Australian men under 50. The current infrastructure, however well-meaning, is not reaching the layer where most of those deaths come from.
FORGE is the attempt to build that missing layer. Not as another awareness campaign. Not as clinical treatment. As capability-building infrastructure for adult men, with structured programs, a community of peers, and a podcast that does the cultural work.
We've spent twenty years telling men to talk. We haven't given them what to do when they do.
The FORGE manifesto
Mantra, principles, framework, founding documents, governance structure.
All ten Forge Foundation programs built. ~5,150 paragraphs of structured content.
Full Y10-12 secondary school curriculum. SACE-aligned. Curriculum mapping documents.
Launch campaign goes live. Marathon training milestones, founding donor outreach, GoFundMe campaign open.
Forge Foundation registered as a Public Benevolent Institution. Diagnostic and first programs go live.
First Forge Conditioning school deliveries. Forged podcast launch. Cohort programs running.
Forge is taking enquiries from schools, donors, partners, prospective facilitators, and individual men interested in the diagnostic and program catalogue.
Reach out by email. Replies typically within a few business days. Specific enquiries (schools, donors, facilitator interest) get faster routing if you mention the area in your subject line.
contact@forge.org.au
Email address active from launch. Placeholder above
Schools enquiriesSubject line: "Schools. [school name]"
Donor enquiriesSubject line: "Donor. [your name]"
Facilitator interestSubject line: "Facilitator. [your name]"
FORGE is not a crisis service. If you or someone you know is in mental health crisis, please use these Australian services. Staffed by trained professionals, available now.
13 11 14
Crisis support and suicide prevention. Available 24/7. Free.
1300 78 99 78
Telephone and online counselling for men. 24/7. Free.
1300 22 4636
Mental health support. 24/7. Free.
1300 659 467
Free counselling for people affected by suicide. 24/7.
1300 845 745
Grief support and bereavement counselling.
000
If you or someone you know is in imminent physical danger, call 000 immediately.