October 8, 2025 • 9 mins
Luke caught up with Wiggy to talk Mental Health Awareness Week and a great new programme he is piloting here in Mid Canterbury - Rural MATES. Something he says is much neeeded.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
For Mental Health Awareness Week, we catch up with Craig
wiggi Wigan.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Yeah, like Mental Health Awareness Week is great because it
brings a lot of stuff to the front of people's mind.
I mean, we spend every day working on mental health
and I think that's the most important thing that if
you can just take five minutes out of your day
and connect with somebody, especially somebody from your past, we
will just connect with yourself and find something to be
gracious about or something you'd like to change and work on.
(00:30):
That's really important. So every day is a mental health day,
just like it's a day where you eat food. It's
a day you should you should look at where you're
trucking and how you're trucking, and what changes you might
like to make, and what's achievable and what you can
control and what you can't control.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
You've connected with many farmers with this Lean on a
Gate over the years, but an exciting development which starts
right here in mid Canterbury. This month they partnership with
Mates in Construction. Tell us about this.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Yeah, it's been a labor of love for the last
two or three years. I've spent I've spent a lot
of time traveling around the country with Slade McFarland x
Mary all Black who work for Matson Construction, and we've
had a fair few of the Royal service industries and
stock agents and vents, agronomous et cetera have said to
me for a long time, you know, we're worried about
our clients and colleagues, but we're not trained to have
(01:22):
those conversations. And so for us it's been a big thing.
So there's no point just training people and then thrown
into the wolves. With the Mates and Construction program that
we've managed to get across the line, the memory and
of understanding and partnership is that we will actually have
some community awareness meetings. Then basically those people that want
(01:43):
to go on and have be connectors or safe talkers,
we can train them over four or five hours to
be in that space where they're not there to fax people,
but they're there to actually facilitate help and know how
to have those conversations. And then from there those that
really want to get involved and become a CIS train,
which is suicide Assist training, and that's a two day
(02:04):
program and that's fairly full on.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
But that.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Helps the communities, help themselves and behind that there's eight
hundred numbers that the connectors can bring if they need help.
There is regular revisits from myself or makes Construction to
see how they're getting on and what they will, what
they're seeing out there, and also case management for anybody
that needs it as well. So this program is something
(02:31):
that's been proven in the construction industry and there's so
much energy between rural New Zealand and the construction industry.
It's just a good but I'm just I'm going to
beg you please take advantage of this. We've put a
lot of work into this and we really want to
help our communities help themselves.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Have you done a bit of groundwork on this already?
I remember it was a couple of months ago you
had that function at the MESA.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Yeah, we have, and we've been doing quite a bit
of work in this space and at the moment. On
the twenty ninth of October at the MSA, we will
be hosting the first community awareness training for all of
those smaller businesses that we can't get around. All of
the school boards of trustees or sports people that want
(03:15):
to come, and that's just a forty five minute to
an hour meeting and that will be at a half
past ten on the twenty ninth, and then a cup
of tea in the s gone afterwards, I guess. But
then from there we'll find out connectors and we'll bring
them back and train them in the future. So we're
also visiting some pretty big businesses as well, and I
know rain and irrigation and planes irrogation for example, both
(03:36):
those companies are shown some great interest. There's other companies
that are really really looking to be available in that space.
Hope for those bigger companies, we will actually come to
your workshop and do a toolbox meeting or a morning
meeting or a lunchtime meeting or something like that, and
do the whole the whole organization. So if you've got
(03:58):
you know, if you've got a fear few people, we
really need to do the whole lot and then find
where those strong people are that want to be in
that connector space and take them further on. Those people
then get populated throughout the community Lucan and they're available
to everybody and everyone, and they recognize people that need
to be helped. You know, it's a privilege to be
(04:20):
able to help some people that need help, logan, and
a lot of people want to be able to help.
I mean, we've all been touched by suicide. You know,
somebody's either about to go through it, or have gone
through it or experienced it in some way in their life.
And you do anything to be able to help somebody
that's got poor mental health, just like you would open
(04:41):
the door for somebody on crutches. So I mean, let's
get on with it. You know, Mid Canterbury. We're trialing
this here because we know it's needed here and this
is as I said, I've worked really hard for this
along with Slade, and we just really want to make
sure that this works and then we can spread it
out throughout the rest of the communities in New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
To take a bit deep on that, Wigi, what are
you seeing and hearing in the sense that often we
consider ourselves rather isolated here in Mid Canterbury, which in
a way can be a good thing.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Yeah. Made look honestly, when we actually analyzed per head
capita results and mental health and well being, Mid Canterbury
actually struggles in that space. You know, we have a
lot of reasons. Yeah, you wouldn't you would think that
that wouldn't be the case. But we have a lot
of reasons for that. You know, the isolation that the
poor price is up to now, just a lot of
(05:33):
things getting to a doctor for example. You know there's
a synergy between the Northwestern and mental health. There's all
sorts of things that you can actually put down to
Mid Canterbury. And I mean you've only got to talk
to someone like Pup Chamberlain or some of the counselors
and they'll tell you that the workload's not reducing. So
if we can help by strengthening our community in that
(05:57):
space and then hopefully reduce some of those effects on people,
I think I think that would be a good thing
to get across the line here. So yeah, the results,
not wanting to scare people, but the results for Mid
Canterbury aren't that great. And that's why you say, I
live in this area and we're starting it here because
it's easy. It's actually probably well needed in this area.
(06:20):
There's a lot of transient workers, there's a lot of
migrant workers. There's a lot of pressure on those people.
There's a lot of pressure on just mums and dads
and people in general. You know, the cost of living
huge and you know, just to drive from Methano to
es Burden for a child's sports day or something like that,
that there's a cost involved in that. So there's plenty
(06:43):
of things that put tax on people's mind and nobody's
immune to that. And at any one time in life
you may may struggle and that can be a whole
lot of effects. So you know, there's there's like I say,
it's it's nobody's immune to mental health. We've all got
it and at times we just need a little bit
of help through the doors.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
So pretty keen to prove this concept and see it
rolled out through the rest of the country. How do
we help y out? How do we hook into this WIGI?
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Well, well, basically send me an email Wiggy at lean
on Agate dot Co, Dottie and said, and register your
interest in this and we'll get a community training into
your business or you can attend that one on the
twenty nine at the MSA. So once again, just get
in touch with me and we'll make that happen. But
just reach out and you know, we're I hate to
beg for money, but we could do with some finance
(07:31):
and fold in this too. So you're a big company
and want to get behind this or a small company
even and you want to help out. You know that
would be great too. But honestly, you know, we have
the ethos that strong people make strong communities, and strong
communities make stronger people. So if we can do that,
if we can put that into gear here and lead
by example in that space, I'd be pretty proud of that.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Yeah, right on. Is there a cost to register for
that session on the twenty ninth, No, not at this.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Stage, not for the smaller businesses and in company. So
we are looking to see what what will happen in
the big company space later on. But you know, you
can't put I asked Brad Olsen from him from Metrics
one day, what sort of price do you put on
poor mental health and well being in a business? And
he said, we can't quantify it, but he said it's huge,
and that's one of the biggest changes you can make
(08:19):
to businesses. Have a better culture and have a better
mental health program. You know, at any one time, you know,
up to six or seven percent of people are thinking
about suicide. If you have a program in place, that
can be halved. So it's it's a it's a you
know this is These are that that that we can
quantify too. So it's a matter of taking that taking
(08:42):
that step through the door. And the door's open now.
And as I said, we're offering it to everybody and
anybody just please just reach out.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Let's get a lot of people through the doors of
the m s A in a couple of weeks time.
Look forward to keeping tabs on this one. Will you
got on you mate?
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Hey, thanks very much, And like I said, this is
for you guys, so please take advantage of it.
For Mental Health Awareness Week, we catch up with Craig
wiggi Wigan.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Yeah, like Mental Health Awareness Week is great because it
brings a lot of stuff to the front of people's mind.
I mean, we spend every day working on mental health
and I think that's the most important thing that if
you can just take five minutes out of your day
and connect with somebody, especially somebody from your past, we
will just connect with yourself and find something to be
gracious about or something you'd like to change and work on.
(00:30):
That's really important. So every day is a mental health day,
just like it's a day where you eat food. It's
a day you should you should look at where you're
trucking and how you're trucking, and what changes you might
like to make, and what's achievable and what you can
control and what you can't control.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
You've connected with many farmers with this Lean on a
Gate over the years, but an exciting development which starts
right here in mid Canterbury. This month they partnership with
Mates in Construction. Tell us about this.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Yeah, it's been a labor of love for the last
two or three years. I've spent I've spent a lot
of time traveling around the country with Slade McFarland x
Mary all Black who work for Matson Construction, and we've
had a fair few of the Royal service industries and
stock agents and vents, agronomous et cetera have said to
me for a long time, you know, we're worried about
our clients and colleagues, but we're not trained to have
(01:22):
those conversations. And so for us it's been a big thing.
So there's no point just training people and then thrown
into the wolves. With the Mates and Construction program that
we've managed to get across the line, the memory and
of understanding and partnership is that we will actually have
some community awareness meetings. Then basically those people that want
(01:43):
to go on and have be connectors or safe talkers,
we can train them over four or five hours to
be in that space where they're not there to fax people,
but they're there to actually facilitate help and know how
to have those conversations. And then from there those that
really want to get involved and become a CIS train,
which is suicide Assist training, and that's a two day
(02:04):
program and that's fairly full on.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
But that.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Helps the communities, help themselves and behind that there's eight
hundred numbers that the connectors can bring if they need help.
There is regular revisits from myself or makes Construction to
see how they're getting on and what they will, what
they're seeing out there, and also case management for anybody
that needs it as well. So this program is something
(02:31):
that's been proven in the construction industry and there's so
much energy between rural New Zealand and the construction industry.
It's just a good but I'm just I'm going to
beg you please take advantage of this. We've put a
lot of work into this and we really want to
help our communities help themselves.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Have you done a bit of groundwork on this already?
I remember it was a couple of months ago you
had that function at the MESA.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Yeah, we have, and we've been doing quite a bit
of work in this space and at the moment. On
the twenty ninth of October at the MSA, we will
be hosting the first community awareness training for all of
those smaller businesses that we can't get around. All of
the school boards of trustees or sports people that want
(03:15):
to come, and that's just a forty five minute to
an hour meeting and that will be at a half
past ten on the twenty ninth, and then a cup
of tea in the s gone afterwards, I guess. But
then from there we'll find out connectors and we'll bring
them back and train them in the future. So we're
also visiting some pretty big businesses as well, and I
know rain and irrigation and planes irrogation for example, both
(03:36):
those companies are shown some great interest. There's other companies
that are really really looking to be available in that space.
Hope for those bigger companies, we will actually come to
your workshop and do a toolbox meeting or a morning
meeting or a lunchtime meeting or something like that, and
do the whole the whole organization. So if you've got
(03:58):
you know, if you've got a fear few people, we
really need to do the whole lot and then find
where those strong people are that want to be in
that connector space and take them further on. Those people
then get populated throughout the community Lucan and they're available
to everybody and everyone, and they recognize people that need
to be helped. You know, it's a privilege to be
(04:20):
able to help some people that need help, logan, and
a lot of people want to be able to help.
I mean, we've all been touched by suicide. You know,
somebody's either about to go through it, or have gone
through it or experienced it in some way in their life.
And you do anything to be able to help somebody
that's got poor mental health, just like you would open
(04:41):
the door for somebody on crutches. So I mean, let's
get on with it. You know, Mid Canterbury. We're trialing
this here because we know it's needed here and this
is as I said, I've worked really hard for this
along with Slade, and we just really want to make
sure that this works and then we can spread it
out throughout the rest of the communities in New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
To take a bit deep on that, Wigi, what are
you seeing and hearing in the sense that often we
consider ourselves rather isolated here in Mid Canterbury, which in
a way can be a good thing.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Yeah. Made look honestly, when we actually analyzed per head
capita results and mental health and well being, Mid Canterbury
actually struggles in that space. You know, we have a
lot of reasons. Yeah, you wouldn't you would think that
that wouldn't be the case. But we have a lot
of reasons for that. You know, the isolation that the
poor price is up to now, just a lot of
(05:33):
things getting to a doctor for example. You know there's
a synergy between the Northwestern and mental health. There's all
sorts of things that you can actually put down to
Mid Canterbury. And I mean you've only got to talk
to someone like Pup Chamberlain or some of the counselors
and they'll tell you that the workload's not reducing. So
if we can help by strengthening our community in that
(05:57):
space and then hopefully reduce some of those effects on people,
I think I think that would be a good thing
to get across the line here. So yeah, the results,
not wanting to scare people, but the results for Mid
Canterbury aren't that great. And that's why you say, I
live in this area and we're starting it here because
it's easy. It's actually probably well needed in this area.
(06:20):
There's a lot of transient workers, there's a lot of
migrant workers. There's a lot of pressure on those people.
There's a lot of pressure on just mums and dads
and people in general. You know, the cost of living
huge and you know, just to drive from Methano to
es Burden for a child's sports day or something like that,
that there's a cost involved in that. So there's plenty
(06:43):
of things that put tax on people's mind and nobody's
immune to that. And at any one time in life
you may may struggle and that can be a whole
lot of effects. So you know, there's there's like I say,
it's it's nobody's immune to mental health. We've all got
it and at times we just need a little bit
of help through the doors.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
So pretty keen to prove this concept and see it
rolled out through the rest of the country. How do
we help y out? How do we hook into this WIGI?
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Well, well, basically send me an email Wiggy at lean
on Agate dot Co, Dottie and said, and register your
interest in this and we'll get a community training into
your business or you can attend that one on the
twenty nine at the MSA. So once again, just get
in touch with me and we'll make that happen. But
just reach out and you know, we're I hate to
beg for money, but we could do with some finance
(07:31):
and fold in this too. So you're a big company
and want to get behind this or a small company
even and you want to help out. You know that
would be great too. But honestly, you know, we have
the ethos that strong people make strong communities, and strong
communities make stronger people. So if we can do that,
if we can put that into gear here and lead
by example in that space, I'd be pretty proud of that.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Yeah, right on. Is there a cost to register for
that session on the twenty ninth, No, not at this.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Stage, not for the smaller businesses and in company. So
we are looking to see what what will happen in
the big company space later on. But you know, you
can't put I asked Brad Olsen from him from Metrics
one day, what sort of price do you put on
poor mental health and well being in a business? And
he said, we can't quantify it, but he said it's huge,
and that's one of the biggest changes you can make
(08:19):
to businesses. Have a better culture and have a better
mental health program. You know, at any one time, you know,
up to six or seven percent of people are thinking
about suicide. If you have a program in place, that
can be halved. So it's it's a it's a you
know this is These are that that that we can
quantify too. So it's a matter of taking that taking
(08:42):
that step through the door. And the door's open now.
And as I said, we're offering it to everybody and
anybody just please just reach out.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Let's get a lot of people through the doors of
the m s A in a couple of weeks time.
Look forward to keeping tabs on this one. Will you
got on you mate?
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Hey, thanks very much, And like I said, this is
for you guys, so please take advantage of it.
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