Top Blokes Foundation
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The Top Blokes Foundation is an Australian-based non-government organisation that addresses young men’s health outcomes and provides social education programs to young men and boys. Founded in 2006, Top Blokes Foundation has worked with Australian young men to improve their behaviour, wellbeing and their relationship with schools and communities.
Top Blokes Foundation was founded in Wollongong, New South Wales, by Melissa Abu-Gazaleh in 2006. After receiving a youth change grant from Foundation for Young Australians, the Top Blokes Foundation was registered as a non-government organisation and began hosting award programs to promote volunteerism by young males.
In 2012, the Top Blokes Foundation established mentoring programs to address the health outcomes of young males and delivers long-term mentoring programs in schools and communities.
In 2015, the Top Blokes Foundation joined the Safe Schools Coalition – a national campaign to reduce homophobia and transphobia in Australian schools[1] and later that year, Abu-Gazaleh was awarded NSW Young Australian of the Year[2] and Illawarra Entrepreneur of the Year.[3]
Addressing Young Male Health Issues
The below statistics underpins the Top Blokes Foundation rationale for focusing on young male health:
• Suicide is the leading cause of death for males 15–24 years;[4]
• One in four teenagers have experienced an unwanted sexual encounter;[5]
• 75% of mental health problems emerge before the age of 25;[6]
• Young men are three times more likely to die in an accident than young women[7]
• The average age young men view pornographic material is 11 years old;[8]
• 90 people died from one punch assaults between 2000 and 2013.[9]