By Tanya Faulkner
Mental health is being brought to the surface by a community group seeking to normalise conversation.
R U OK day is returning for 2023 on Saturday 16 September, with the Foothills Community Care and Ferntree Gully CFA partnering up to encourage locals to speak up.
Foothills Community Care’s Stephen Barrington said the group have been involved in the community over the last couple of decades, and enjoy connecting with locals in the area.
He said mental health is something a lot of Knox residents speak about.
“In particular, locals are talking about checking in with others and asking if they’re okay.
“R U OK day is around that idea, making sure people are okay with their mental health and checking in with each other,” he said.
Mr Barrington said the day is the perfect excuse to hold a local event that supports the community, and raises awareness in a way that brings people together.
“We’ll have a real family friendly festival feel to the event, to help break down the stigma around suicide and mental health,” he said.
Several people in the community have spoken out about their experience with mental health, whether it be themselves or someone they know, highlighting how common these problems can be in our community.
For Mr Barrington, he said he’s known people who have taken their own lives or struggled with mental health.
“It leaves the questions in your mind, ‘if only we or they had reached out’, ‘what if we had done more?’ or just the feeling of not knowing they were struggling,” he said.
Mr Barrington’s goal with R U OK day is to really get away from the stigma of taking about mental health and suicide in the community.
“Naming suicide is a good thing, not a bad thing, and it’s important to check in with people and see if that’s something others are thinking about.
“It’s a term we should be less afraid of instead of dancing around the issue ‘in case it puts thoughts in peoples’ minds’.
“We just need to talk about it and really bring it into the forefront of society,” he said.
The day kicks off on September 16 from 9:30am with lots of interactive activities and kids activities, petting zoo, and balloons.
The Ferntree Gully Rotary Club will also be on site holding a sausage sizzle, and several other community groups will be showcasing what they’re about for the community.
A special highlight of the day will be the main speaker of the event, Chelsea Frawley, who was the daughter of ex-St Kilda footy player Danny Frawley to talk about the Danny Frawley Centre for mental health support.
Ferntree Gully CFA Captain Seamus Smith said they’re proud to be hosting the event, and bringing the community together.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to use the facilities to host the event, and do what we can to support the community.
“We’ll have the trucks out and do a fire safety presentation for locals.
“The day is really all about R U OK, listening to the speakers, having conversations and talking about mental health as a community,” he said.
For more information and updates on the event, go to the event Facebook page fb.me/e/2SpBS8WKY
