Mitchell Gleeson is growing a mullet for mental health.
The 23-year-old Malmsbury local is raising funds for the Black Dog Institute and will spend this month seeking sponsorship as he develops and sculpts his new do.
“Come September 1st, I got my hair cut and shaved the sides, and then for the duration of September I will grow the back out as much as I can and try to get as mullety as possible,” he said.
“I saw a post about it and I thought ‘that’s a funny idea, mullets for mental health’, and so I looked into it and into the Black Dog Institute, which runs it, and a lot of what they do I thought was very cool.
“At the end of the day, it’s just hair, so if I can make a little bit of a difference, then off it goes.”
Mitch said his employers had been surprisingly supportive of his new look.
“All of them are very on board and supportive, luckily I haven’t been fired, I thought I might have been!” he said.
Mitch said the new hairdo had been “a bit polarising”.
“People have said ‘why did you get a mullet?’ but I think that’s half the battle … and then you can explain it to them,” he said.
“As far as I’m concerned the more people who ask me the better!”
Readers can support Mitch’s fundraising effort by looking out for the posters he has around town in Kyneton and Malmsbury and scanning the QR code to donate, or by visiting the website at www.mulletsformentalhealth.org.au/fundraisers/mitchellgleeson
