Community members across South Eastern NSW connected with culturally safe care through the Walkabout Barber and Walkabout Beautiful mobile service and Trauma and Recovery service, delivered in partnership with COORDINARE – South Eastern NSW PHN and local providers.

Led by proud Gamilaraay man and former NRL player Brian Dowd, the initiative combines free barbering, hairdressing and beauty services with trauma-informed mental health support. In May 2025, the mobile service visited Bega, Narooma, Mogo, Nowra and Wollongong, creating welcoming spaces where people could connect, access support, and have conversations about wellbeing.

Across the five locations, 559 services were delivered, with strong participation from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members, including high engagement from young people and men. Local service providers also joined each visit, strengthening connections and referral pathways across communities.

Each event offered more than practical services, with wellbeing check-ins, suicide prevention and trauma recovery workshops, and cultural activities such as Welcome to Country, smoking ceremonies, music and shared food. Participants consistently reported feeling welcomed, understood and culturally safe, highlighting the value of informal settings for talking about mental health.

The program demonstrates the impact of Aboriginal-led, community-based approaches in reducing stigma and supporting healing through culture and connection. Walkabout Barber and Walkabout Beautiful will join COORDINARE’s upcoming Health Check Convoy, bringing culturally safe care to communities across Southern NSW from 3–7 August.

Download the full Walkabout Barber case study here.

Access the final report here.

Aboriginal health, Community, Mental health, Suicide prevention,