Movember: taking a Mo-ment for men’s mental health

Craig Bulloch, National Wellbeing and Occupational Health Lead at Te Pūkenga, leads a team of facilitators that have delivered Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Aotearoa workshops to more than 500 kaimahi across New Zealand. This Movember, he shares his lived experience journey and why men’s mental health matters to him. This is part of a semi-regular series profiling our MHFA Aotearoa instructors.

Hamiltonian Craig Bulloch wears many hats: father, son, Ironman athlete, community leader, and passionate mental health advocate.

By day, he leads wellbeing and occupational health at Te Pūkenga. Outside work, he runs Mates Matter NZ, a suicide prevention charitable trust supporting mental health in the Waikato.

Craig is also an accredited Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Aotearoa instructor. He leads a team that has delivered Standard MHFA Aotearoa workshops to more than 500 Te Pūkenga staff nationwide.

MHFA Aotearoa is an evidence-based, internationally recognised programme licensed by Te Pou in New Zealand. It equips people with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to support those experiencing a mental health challenge or crisis.

Craig is a proud Movember Community Ambassador and this November, he is putting his face on the line for men’s mental health, growing a moustache and raising funds to support Movember—a cause close to his heart.

"When I say a conversation can save a life, I truly mean it, because it happened to me."

Craig’s mental health journey

Fourteen years ago, Craig faced one of the darkest moments of his life. After losing his business during the GFC, a relationship breakup, and other life struggles, he experienced depression.

"In my worst times, I'd be locking myself away at home, then put that mask on in the morning to go to work. I’d come home and try and numb the pain with drink or eating.”

Recognising the signs, his family encouraged him to seek professional help from his GP.

"I walked out and sat in the car and bawled my eyes out because I thought I was half the man I was. At the time, there was still that stigma attached to mental health and depression."

Craig began having suicidal thoughts, but a conversation with his brother saved his life.

"My brother came over and asked, ‘Are you okay?’ That moment of connection gave me hope. That was the light bulb moment for me… I vowed from that day forward that I would try and help others."

With the support of his whānau, professional counselling, and small positive changes in his daily routine, Craig’s mental health gradually improved. Physical activity became a cornerstone of his recovery. He later signed up for an Ironman event and started blogging about his journey to inspire others.

"People could see themselves in my story. What resonated with them was just a normal everyday Kiwi bloke."

Championing men’s mental health

Craig is deeply concerned about New Zealand’s high suicide rates, particularly among men.

"The latest statistics paint a heartbreaking picture: in the last year in Aotearoa, New Zealand lost 617 lives to suicide, with 445 of those being men - an 8% increase from the previous year. Behind every number is a story, a family, and a community forever changed."

He believes stigma plays a significant role in preventing men from seeking help.

"We’ve got to stop hiding behind masks. Being vulnerable and asking for help isn’t a weakness; it’s a strength," he says.

Four years ago, Craig founded Mates Matter NZ to provide mental health resources and programmes in the Waikato region. He enjoys working with business, sporting and rural communities to create safe spaces where people – particularly men - can talk about mental health.

He encourages other men to be brave, and have honest conversations with friends, coworkers and whānau.

"We try to be these big, burly blokes that stand behind these masks, and we’ve got to stop doing that. That’s killing people, at the end of the day."

The power of Mental Health First Aid Aotearoa

As a MHFA Aotearoa instructor, Craig teaches people to recognise the signs and symptoms of mental health challenges, and how to respond appropriately.

The two-day Standard MHFA workshop covers topics such as anxiety, depression, self-harm, problematic substance use, psychosis, and suicidal thinking. It gives people a five-step mental health action plan to follow, so they can have a conversation that can save a life.

"This programme gives people the confidence to ask the hard questions and offer support," says Craig.

Craig became interested in MHFA Aotearoa during the Covid-19 pandemic while working at Te Pūkenga. There was a need for kaimahi to be better equipped to have mental health conversations to support ākonga, and Craig helped secure funding from Te Whatu Ora to embed MHFA Aotearoa at Te Pūkenga.

More than 30 people were trained as accredited MHFA Aotearoa instructors and, since 2023, Craig and this team of facilitators have delivered around 40 workshops and trained more than 350 Te Pūkenga staff, creating a strong network of Mental Health First Aiders at Te Pūkenga.

The vocational education provider has around 9,000 staff and 160,000 students, and MHFA Aotearoa is making a difference, especially during a period of change and uncertainty.

"The amount of people saying, ‘Every staff member needs to do this,’ shows it’s making a difference," says Craig.

He recalls a story shared by a fellow instructor to highlight the programme’s impact.

"After the training last year, he spoke with an apprentice and had the confidence to ask him, ‘Are you thinking about suicide?’ This programme gives people the confidence to ask those follow-up questions. Ninety percent of the time, especially us blokes, we say, ‘We’re good.’ This helps you trust your gut and check in if something doesn’t seem right."

Movember advocate

This November, Craig is supporting Movember, an annual event involving the growing of moustaches to raise awareness of men's health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men's suicide.

He is organising a Movember quiz night, a Movember long lunch in partnership with the Waikato Chamber of Commerce, and a cricket match dubbed "The Battle for the Tashes."

Like MHFA Aotearoa, Movember aligns with Craig’s kaupapa of creating a culture where men feel safe to open up about their mental health.

"I’ve been at rock bottom. I don’t want others to feel that despair,” says Craig.

He hopes his mahi helps create transformational change in our society, paving the way for a future world with less stigma around mental health.

"Great leaders and great men admit when they need help. I want my son to grow up knowing it’s okay to say, ‘I’m not okay.’"

Craig’s openness is driven by a desire to inspire others.

"This is why I do what I do. If sharing my journey resonates with even one person and helps them, then it’s worth being vulnerable."

Support and Resources

If you need mental health support or would like to talk to someone, these resources are available:

• Free call or text 1737 anytime for support from a trained counsellor
• Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or free text 4357 (HELP)
• Youthline: 0800 376 633, free text 234, or email talk@youthline.co.nz
• Samaritans: 0800 726 666

Make a difference and become a Mental Health First Aid instructor. Our next Standard MHFA new instructor training is in March 2025 in Hamilton.