Made to Move: From marginalised to mateship

At The Salvation Army’s Merri-bek Corps in Victoria, the community space has become noticeably livelier, filled with shared laughter, conversation and a growing sense of belonging. It all comes after a new pilot program called ‘Made to Move’ was created to help local men shift from isolation to meaningful community connection, using group fitness as the starting point.

The pilot five-week initiative was designed to support men facing mental health challenges, loneliness or language barriers, and the results from the first course have exceeded all expectations.

Merri-bek Salvation Army, which also serves Brunswick, Coburg, Pascoe Vale and Fawkner and other northern suburbs of Melbourne, has long been a place where people can drop in for a chat, attend church or access practical support through services like Doorways and referrals. In recent months, however, an increasing number of local men have been coming into the space in need of connection as well as support.

Community engagement ministry worker Melody Lamb explains, “As a team, we wanted to create something that met the men where they were at. We wanted it to be positive. And because exercise is really good around mental health, and as some of these guys are dealing with mental health issues, it just made sense.”

With a personal trainer from her own family and a committed team of local volunteers, Melody helped launch weekly group sessions that quickly became about much more than fitness.

Believing in good for the community

Sessions were kept simple. Mats, a whiteboard and bodyweight exercises were all that was needed. While many attended casually, five men came every week.

Melody says that in a short time, genuine transformations began to take place.

“One of the men — he’s given me permission to share this — was seeing one of the Salvos Doorways caseworkers. He was coming just so she could help him get online for his psychologist appointments, because he struggled to do anything online on his own.

“He said when he first started coming, he’d stand down at the stairs and he’d have to psych himself up to walk through the door. And then when he did make the effort, there were days all he could do was look at the wall,” Melody explains.

“But since committing to Made to Move, he’s now making eye contact with people. He’s shaking people’s hands and having conversations. It’s beautiful to see.”

Showing up and sticking with free community activities

Melody says the difference in such a short time has been remarkable. Keeping the program accessible was a priority. Sessions were free and scheduled on Salvos Community Connect days, when other volunteers and activities were already running.

“I just wanted these courageous men to feel comfortable and make it as easy as possible,” Melody explains.

She adds that the personal trainer, Zac from Bodyworks Fitness, played a key role in building trust.

“The feedback around him has been really positive. They said he’s so professional, he pushes them, but he’s also very interpersonal and makes them feel seen and heard, and no one felt left out.”

Support for isolation

Melody says that the participants have built friendships and offered support to each other.

“Seeing these men support one another and truly have each other’s backs has been incredibly rewarding. It’s what made the whole program worthwhile. These are men who once felt the world was against them, now coming together to build each other up.”

Two men from the local Chinese community were among those who completed the program. Despite language barriers, they formed wider friendships and built deeper connections.

Melody explains that one participant, who is still learning English, has made great progress through practice and connection. “Now the whole group are friends. They encourage each other weekly and enjoy playing table tennis together,” she says.

“I’m actually now signing up a couple of the guys as volunteers,” Melody says. “One of them can’t believe he’s getting this opportunity. He’s so grateful to be given a chance to prove himself.”

Collaboration with outside services was another important part of the pilot. “The whole idea was about men connecting with each other and combating isolation.”

Celebrating wins against mental health challenges

At the end of the program, Melody organised a small ceremony to celebrate.

“One of the men said, ‘We survived,’ or something along those lines. And I responded, ‘You should be incredibly proud of yourself, you didn’t just survive, you achieved something meaningful. There were others who signed up but never showed and some who started but didn’t finish. But you saw it through’. And I could see the quiet pride they carry in themselves,” Melody shares.

Luke, one of the participants, agrees, saying, “Even just getting through the five weeks was a big deal for us because when you have a mental illness there are so many more barriers to push through and it's so easy to quit.

“Persevering and completing the challenge felt like a small win against mental health and we were able to get a bit of control back both mentally and physically. It’s given us hope for the future and positive experiences while gaining friendships.”

Steps towards deeper connection

Melody also invited a local Salvation Army church member to join the group, helping build organic links to faith. A few of the men have now stepped into the Salvos’ Connect, Reflect and Prayer (CRP) space for the first time and have shared openly with the group.

“It’s incredibly encouraging for our extended volunteer team to see their personal growth because they give so much of their time and skills to build the culture here. As a team leader, it’s wonderful to witness these spaces overlapping and coming together,” Melody says.

She hopes the program will continue regularly throughout the year to maintain momentum.

“I was actually amazed to see God provide,” she reflects. “I was praying about it. I knew I couldn’t meet everyone’s expectations, but I knew God could and I believe he did.”

Believing in goodness of connection for all

For now, Made to Move is focused on men, as that’s where the immediate need has been identified. But Melody says the team is open to expanding if resources allow.

“I’ve had a lot of women say, ‘I want to be in there!’ I said, ‘Well, we can manage that. We can make that move too.’”

Because, as Melody puts it simply, “At its heart, it’s all about community.”