CONTRIBUTED
Tucked away in the old Centrelink building on Kendal Street — now known as the Connections Centre — something powerful has been quietly taking place for over two years.
Once a month, local men gather in the Cowra Growth Room to talk. Not just small talk, not only footy scores — but real conversation. The kind of talk that’s often missing from daily life, but deeply needed. It’s free. It’s peer-led. And it’s making a difference.
First launched in February 2023, Cowra’s Growth Room is part of a growing regional movement supported by Lifeline Central West. The rooms are run by trained local facilitators — ordinary blokes with an extraordinary commitment to listening and holding space for others.
Cowra’s first facilitator, Blair Gough, knows first-hand the impact these spaces can have. He originally trained through a Lifeline-supported men’s group course in Orange, not knowing how soon he’d need that circle of support himself.
Latest Stories
“A few months after that training, I hit a major crisis in my own life,” Blair shares. “It was a night in the Growth Room in Orange where I felt real support. A week later, two of the men rang — just like they said they would. That was the moment I got it. I understood what these groups are really about.”
With backing from Lifeline and the generosity of local friends who donated the use of the building, Cowra’s Growth Room opened later that year. Since then, anywhere from 3 to 10 men have attended each session — a small number by design, to keep the space safe and personal.
Each month, men work through a few simple questions together — reflecting on what’s been happening in their lives since the last meet-up. One person speaks at a time. Everyone else listens. Judgement and advice are left at the door.
Blair says it’s this simplicity — and the consistency — that makes it work.
“You get supported when you're struggling, and you celebrate your own or someone else’s wins. It's friendship on a different level.”
This year, thanks to a $1,000 grant from Club Cowra, the group hosted a day at Wyangala Dam, even borrowing a houseboat for the occasion. It was, as Blair puts it, "one of the best things I’ve done.”
As Blair prepares to move on from Cowra, he’s passing the facilitator role to Paul, another local man who believes in the room’s power to connect, ground, and strengthen.
So, what Is a Growth Room?
Growth Rooms are monthly, men’s-only meet-ups supported by Lifeline Central West. They’re not counselling. They’re not therapy. They’re just a chance to talk honestly in a safe, supported space with other blokes who get it.
They’ve been rolled out in other towns like Parkes, Katoomba, Orange, Mudgee, and soon Dubbo, with each room shaped by the community around it.
“Growth Rooms are what happen when local men create space for each other — no fanfare, no fuss, just real conversations that build trust over time.”
says Andrew Greig, from Lifeline Central West.
If you're a man in Cowra looking for something real — a place to speak, listen, or just sit with others who understand — the Growth Room is here.
And if you’re someone who cares about a man in your life — a partner, father, brother, son, mate — let them know this space exists. Sometimes all it takes is a quiet nudge.
Cowra Growth Room meets at the Connections Centre (between Subway and Dominos on Kendal St on the 4th Thursday of each month at 6pm.
Contact: growthrooms@lifelinecentralwest.org.au
More info: www.lifelinecentralwest.org.au/growthrooms
________________________________________
Facilitators Welcome
Lifeline Central West provides free training and support for locals who want to lead or assist in running a Growth Room. If you’ve got a good ear, a bit of time, and a steady presence — they’d love to hear from you.
