The Nelson Institute Talks

2pm, Sunday, November 3rd, Elma Turner Library.

Cost: $3. Payment can be made by direct credit to 03-1354-0183881-00

Philip will tell real stories about the lives of the men he has worked with over his 30 years in this field. He set up and runs a drop in centre, the Male Room, for men struggling with lives’ difficulties. His talk will challenge the myths and stereotypes which often labels these men as misogynistic and unemotional. At the Male Room, Philip and his son Louis help men navigate trauma, addiction and homelessness. He said: “It’s hard to whinge about your life when you listen to these guys talk about their childhood. I don’t see angry men; I see hurt children.”

In June of this year Philip was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit advocating for male survivors of sexual abuse. Philip is involved in several related community initiatives. This includes Chair of Male Survivors Aotearoa since 2013, Chair of two MenzSheds, a Community Manager of IHC for three years and Manager of the Nelson Neighbourhood Centre for ten years. He has previously been an Ambassador for the Movember campaign and a Justice of the Peace. He has been a Consumer Board Representative on the Federation of Primary Health since 2020, as well as a Board member of Nelson Primary Health Organisation for nine years.

Philip: “I was kicked out of school at 14, uneducated with minimum wage stamped on forehead. Found a gang, had lots of mindless jobs. At the age of seventeen started reading Oscar Wilde, Hemmingway, Scott Fitzgerald, Jack Kerouac, and listing to Bob Dylan. I now believe most of life’s questions can be found in his lyrics .Now I’m an old geezer with imposter syndrome, who can’t write to save his life.”

For further information, please email to costleymarr@xtra.co.nz.