An evening with mental health advocate Sir John Kirwan

Coming back: Mental health advocate Sir John Kirwan is returning to Gisborne on May 17 and already has 70 people booked to attend his free public meeting. Sir John speaks from personal experience as an All Black who suffered from depression. He told The Herald during his last Gisborne visit in September that he was an anxiety-based depressive. “I didn’t treat it or understand it, so I became depressed.” Gisborne Herald file picture

Sir John Kirwan is winging his way back to Gisborne in his role as a mental health advocate.

Just eight months ago the knight, known to many as JK, was in Gisborne as the Westpac ambassador to discuss mental wellbeing.

Since then, the region has been devastated by cyclones, with homes, lives and livelihoods threatened.

This has led to mental wellbeing issues.

Sir John has decided to revisit Gisborne — and other weather-impacted regions — on May 17 for two public events.

He will speak at Te Karaka Area School at 9.30am and visit locations struck by Cyclone Gabrielle.

The general public are invited to An Evening With Sir John Kirwan at Lawson Field Theatre starting at 6pm.

He described his visit last September as awesome and it seems the feeling is reciprocal. Already 70 people have registered to attend the free Lawson Field Theatre meeting through the Facebook page An evening with Sir John Kirwan - Gisborne

“I tell my story and relate it back to normalising mental health,” he said.

“I try to help people with some with tips and tricks.”

Sir John will arrive in Gisborne after visiting cyclone-hit communities in Hawke’s Bay on May 15 and 16.