A recent CLK Long Lunch for Mental Health event aimed at raising both funds and awareness has contributed $3000 towards local mental health facilities and support services.
The inaugural event, organised by Charles L King and Co First National (CLK) Real Estate, was held at Radcliffe’s Restaurant in Echuca, and brought together 140 people of all ages, and from all corners of the community, to learn about local mental health support services and raised $1000 each for headspace Echuca, Mental Health and Wellbeing The Local at Echuca Regional Health and Beyond Blue.
The event included guest speaker and Kyabram local Warren Davies (The Unbreakable Farmer) who shared his own personal mental health journey and how he now supports regional communities across the country to be more mentally fit, particularly those who have lived through natural disasters and associated challenges. MC and Beyond Blue Ambassador Brad McEwan led the discussion and shined a light on the importance of talking about mental health challenges and guided a collection of local specialist panellists to share the work they do. Panellists included Jayden Howe from headspace Echuca, Neesha Woodward with Melanie Holschier and Michelle Trail from Mental Health and Wellbeing The Local at Echuca Regional Health, Emma Knapp from Standby Support After Suicide, Kirsty Turner from Rochester Secondary College, Dorinda Watson from Echuca College, Ruory Kirkby from The Rollie Project, and Nicole Cavallaro from Freudenfreud. All
panellists contributed to the important conversation of the mental health challenges our community is living with, and how to best keep ourselves and those we care about mentally fit.
The event was made possible thanks to generous sponsorship from Campaspe Shire, Moama Bowling Club, First National Real Estate Foundation, Coolabah Turf, Riverine Herald, Radcliffe’s Restaurant, Rich Glen Olive Oil, Burning Buttter, and Echuca Printers.
One of the aims of the day was to support local young people at the table and this was made possible by our Pay-It-Forward sponsors including NAB Echuca, Suzi and Brad Shearer, and Rolfe and Associates.
The day was deemed a huge success by CLK First National co-director Troy O’Brien who said the support of the community was key, as well as important and much-valued sponsorship contributions from event partners and generous community members.“We were proud to host such an important event for the wider community,” Troy said.“It was our hope that if the conversations we had on the day helped just one person through a mental health challenge, then it would be deemed a success.
“We were also thrilled to be able to donate $3000 to local mental health support services and Beyond Blue and we look forward to doing it all again next year… even bigger and better,” he said. Event sponsor and attendee Stacey Fraser from Coolabah Turf was thrilled to be involved in an event that aimed to promote mental health and wellbeing of the wider community.
“We understand the importance of supporting our local community in any way we can, particularly with physical and emotional wellbeing, which is why we are on a mission to get people outside and ‘ditch screen time for green time,’ Stacey said.
“One of the greatest ways to counterbalance the amount of time spent we spend on screens is to unplug from technology as often as we can and plug back into real life by taking time out in nature, and that’s why it’s our lifelong mission to produce sustainable lawn landscapes and brilliant backyards that encourage active lifestyles,” she said.
With the success of this year’s inaugural event, CLK is already making plans for next year’s event, so if you, or someone you know, would like to be involved feel free to reach out to Christy O’Brien at clkechuca@gmail.com or on 0409 239 577.