Page 4583 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 26 November 2019
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I am really proud of the work the Mental Health Community Coalition has done as organisers of Mental Health Month. I extend a special commendation to Maddie Cook from the MHCC, who, I understand, is much of the magic behind the organisation and coordination of the events. I also thank Simon and Leith, also from MHCC, who I know put a lot of work into the month as well.
This year’s Mental Health Month had over 35 events for Canberrans to engage in. They were put on by the fantastic community organisations we have here in the territory. The effort and dedication it takes to be involved is significant, but the impact of these events is immeasurable. I am always impressed by the hard work of our community organisations and how much value and meaning they bring to people’s lives.
I participated in a number of the Mental Health Month events, kicking off with an incredibly fun comedy night with a full house and, of course, a lot of laughs. The Health and Wellbeing Expo was a great way to reach out to the public both in celebration of positive mental health and to inform and engage with the community about services and organisations that are there to assist. The celebrity charity all-star baseball game was indeed a big night at the ballpark. Then there was the Talking Park Bench held by Wellways. This is a fantastic initiative that sets up a dedicated park bench in cities to encourage conversation among strangers.
The ACT Mental Health Community Network turned 20 years old, and I was pleased to celebrate this significant achievement with them. I attended the peer workforce panel event held by the MHCC—an area I believe has a lot of potential to benefit mental health service delivery. To wrap things up, I attended Music 4 Mental Health at the Polish Club and got to listen to the likes of Chris Endrey, Evan Buckley and other great musicians, as well as joining in an effort to learn to sing a song as part of a choir.
With so much on, I was not able to get to everything, but the variety on offer was amazing: the film festival, art workshops and exhibitions, sport and exercise, live music, education and information sessions and other social events. I thank everyone involved in the organisation of an event for the public to engage in and for providing such a wide range so that there was something to appeal to almost everyone, whether their primary interest is in sport, the arts, community support or learning.
Finally, I extend a special thanks to this year’s Mental Health Awards winners. The winning organisations and individuals show us what can be achieved through dedication, imagination and understanding. The individual winners inspire us as unsung heroes in the lives of those they care about.
This year’s winners are the Australian Kookaburra Kids Foundation ACT branch for the Mentally Healthy Communities and Workplaces Organisation Award; Elise Apolloni for the Mentally Healthy Communities and Workplaces Individual Award; the Way Back Support Service, Woden Community Service and the Connected Program for the Support for Individuals, Families and Carers Organisation Award; Jenny Adams for the Support for Individuals, Families and Carers Individual Award;
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