Nick Galvin knows the difficulties of struggling with mental health and he's made it his mission to help others in the community.

The barbecue, held at Mount Panorama's McPhillamy Park on Sunday, July 24, also featured a car show and a raffle, with some terrific prizes up for grabs.

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"It's crazy, I turned up to set up and there were probably already 25 cars here," Mr Galvin said.

"I couldn't have asked for anything better and the weather is just perfect."

Having been involved with the car community for 10 to 15 years, it was fitting to incorporate that aspect into the event.

After promoting the day via Facebook, around 150 cars turned up plus a number of motorcycles to support the barbecue.

Mr Galvin said this was important to him as the car community has been a big help during tough times.

"I've been saying to people, and especially in the car community, we use our cars as vessels to deal with things," he said.

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"Whether it's in the shed building it or when we're driving it, the cars bring everything together and make us feel a bit more whole.

"So to have the car community come out and support it is amazing."

Mr Galvin is the founder of Rising Phoenix - a social media group created to help men experiencing mental health difficulties.

Rising Phoenix began around 12 months ago, and while Mr Galvin hopes to one day turn it into a bigger company, for now his aim is to create awareness and a supportive community.

The barbecue was a great way of encouraging people to discuss their stories and connect.

The Bathurst community really rallied to help make the day a success and Mr Galvin thanked everyone for their involvement.

The barbecue and the meat was donated, plus a number of great prizes that were up for grabs in the free raffle.

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"There's just been so much support," Mr Galvin said.

"The support from NDIS, Lifeline has been on board, all the car people, the businesses and individuals who have donated prizes, the meat and the barbecue."

Following the success of the barbecue, Mr Galvin is thinking about making it an annual event.

He hopes to do it all again next year, bigger and better.

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