Page 2571 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 9 August 2016
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been affected by this most recent tragic death. I acknowledge the offer made by the CFMEU to assist and support them through counselling services during this very difficult time.
I would like to take a moment to pause during my adjournment speech and reflect on what should have been an ordinary day in this man’s life, when he should have been able to leave work and go home and visit his family, as anyone would be expected to do, and return home safely that night. I invite members to join with me for a moment to pause and reflect on that for a moment. Thank you, members.
Luton charity ball
MR COE (Ginninderra) (10.00): Last Saturday evening I had the pleasure of attending the 2016 Luton charity ball, along with Mr Hanson and also Mr Rattenbury. The ball provides an opportunity for local charities to raise much-needed funds and to raise their profiles in the Canberra community. Rhonda Burchmore was the MC for the evening and was, of course, very entertaining. We also heard some emotional and powerful stories about people who have suffered as a result of their service to our community. I would like to acknowledge and thank Allan Sparkes CV and Todd Berry for sharing their stories. I think everyone in the room was moved by their heroism in service but also in their openness in speaking about their struggles and their recovery.
This year’s ball supported groups working to prevent suicide with OzHelp, Menslink and Lifeline, the beneficiaries of the fundraising. The night provided a great chance to celebrate the life-saving work of all three charities and the roles that they and their volunteers play in keeping our community strong.
OzHelp was founded in 2001 after the suicide of young Canberra man, David O’Bryan. David’s mother, Lorraine, worked with local organisations to put in place support services targeted at young men working in the construction industries to help prevent other families experiencing the same loss. OzHelp relies on state and federal government funding, as well as charitable donations and fundraising, to continue to provide suicide prevention services and training to more than 33,000 Australians every year. I would like to acknowledge the great work done by the CEO of the OzHelp Foundation, Tony Holland, and his team.
Menslink started in 2002, having operated for a number of years prior to that as a young men’s support network under the auspices of the Woden Community Centre. Founded by Richard Shanahan, a fellow of the Churchill Memorial Trust, Menslink was established to meet the increasing needs of young men and their families in our community. Menslink provides youth mentoring and counselling. It holds regular events and visits schools and organisations to speak about young men’s issues, men’s mental health, mental fitness, suicide prevention, and about the work that Menslink does in the community.
The work of Lifeline in Canberra would be familiar to many of us. For 45 years Lifeline Canberra has provided telephone crisis support through the telephone number 131114 to the people of Canberra and the surrounding region. As part of an
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