One of Katherine's most blokish clubs has teamed up with Mental Mates to address the worryingly high rates of suicide in regional towns across Australia.
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The Katherine Speedway Club is more than 60 per cent adult males - a demographic which makes up an average of six out of eight suicides every day in Australia.
"Cars seem to be something most men are into," club president Rebecca Thomsen said.
"Statistically there is a possibility that four or five of our drivers or club members are suffering from mental health issues and don't feel like they can talk about it."
Despite growing awareness, suicide is still the single biggest killer of men in Australia, more than double the national road toll.
A marked gender split remains and the stats are even more dire in regional towns where isolation and a lack of services contribute to the complex problem.
"Suicide is a massive issue in Katherine," Mental Mates project officer Kate Jenkin said.
"The biggest struggle is accessing services, because there just aren't enough."
The not-for-profit organisation has found residents of Katherine are accessing preventative services and even psychologists or counselors 300km away in Darwin.
Or they are going without.
"It is pretty dire, Headspace opens next week and that is fantastic for youth, but there are just not enough preventative services for adults accessing struggling with mental health issues," Ms Jenkin said.
"There is also a stigma that we just can't shake - people don't want to ask for help."
Mental Mates is hoping to raise enough money at this weekend's speedway event to fund 120 suicide prevention training sessions as well as funds for additional services.
In a town where mental health issues and suicide is prevalent, Ms Jenkin said the cost barrier to vital skills in prevention was something that needed to be broken down.
"Suicide is often hard to document and because it is stigmastised it is not always reported or people don't talk about it - this is a huge issue when asking for government funding help," she said.
The grassroots organisation, which started in Katherine in 2015 following a number of suicides in the town, has provided training to 600 people so far.
Mental Mates will be at the speedway event this Saturday from when the gates open at 5.30pm.
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