It's a myth that men don't talk to each other.
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More like is they often don't talk properly to each other.
Gatherings in Albury on Sunday, December 5, and Tumbarumba the following day will introduce a format of open sharing over a relaxed meal that has already worked for a decade.
The Men's Table aims to go beyond the banter about sport or current events in a confidential space where others listen without trying to give advice or "fix" the speaker.
Regional host Michael Collins said the first Men's Table began with 12 participants in 2011 and had lasted through major life changes of family, finances and employment.
"Just having this anchor of a space that they'd committed to stay with and grow old together, rather than just drop in and drop out," he said.
"The same 12 guys, so that trust got built and effectively it was like having a set of brothers that weren't in your family that you could lean on and lean into when you needed to.
"Build trust with a diverse group of men, so not a bunch of people who are necessarily just like us."
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Now a registered charity with more than 40 groups, The Men's Table tries to avoid hierarchy, jargon, experts and judgement.
Word of mouth often gets men involved, with the first step being attending an Entree event, like those planned for Albury and Tumbarumba.
The coronavirus pandemic, Black Summer bushfires and ongoing challenges of farming underline the need for such a group.
A Men's Table also began in Corowa about six months ago, with some places still available
Mr Collins said the concept wasn't a crisis response, but sought to make it normal to talk about personal challenges.
"Turning up at a table and knowing everyone's got stuff going on, it's not just you," he said.
"Often there's a narrative that there's someone always 'worse off than me' and 'I don't really need it, that's for the other bloke', 'I'm OK, someone needs it more than me'.
"It's not wrong, but it's also not helpful.
"Our philosophy is that once men help themselves, then they're willing to be in good company with other men, and that can only have ripple effects into healthier communities as well."
More information available on The Men's Table website.
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