They hosted the inaugural Community Open Day, which featured a band, bouncy castle, food and drinks, as well as the opportunity to chat with mental health experts.

There were many local groups on hand too, with the likes of Upper Hunter Community Services and the Muswellbrook PCYC jumping in to throw their support behind MMS.

Men’s Shed member Jason Lambley said the event went extremely well and he was pleased with the turnout.

“It took us a fair while to get to where we are and it’s nice to finally get going and show the public,” he said.

“The crowd was fairly good.

“We got a few more in as the day progressed and they saw what we get up to.”

While the family atmosphere made for a very positive affair, there was a more serious undercurrent as the adults were encouraged to be open about their state of mind.

Former rugby league star Wayne Wigham was there as a representative of the Black Dog Institute as well.

He said it was important to speak up about depression and not be reluctant to reach out for help.

“If I can bring up mental health and have a chat about what they might be going through, we can discreetly point people in the right direction and take away the stigma,” he explained.

“As men, we’ve got to learn there’s no shame in putting your hand up for what is an illness.

“There’s no shame in getting help with an illness and we’ve really got to spread that word.”

It was certainly an event that offered up something for everyone, and the bustling crowd was testament to all the effort the group had put into making the day possible.