beyondblue will embark on a tour of country field days this year, starting with the Sungold Field Days in Allansford on February 11.
beyondblue is thrilled to have the support of volunteers Charlie and Barb Nichols who will drive a beyondblue Winnebago to 15 field days across Victoria, NSW, Queensland and Tasmania to offer beyondblue’s free information resources about mental health and staying well.
The Rural Field Days Roadshow is in addition to beyondblue’s National Roadshow – a 50,000km, 18-month journey across Australia in a big blue bus which is due to finish in June this year.
beyondblue CEO Georgie Harman said the Rural Field Days Roadshow would reach an important audience.
“We know farmers can be hard to reach – not only for geographical reasons, but also due to the long hours they put in on the farm,” she said.
“Families who work the land are often resilient and resourceful, but depression and anxiety affects even the toughest people. We want everyone to know that if you’re struggling, help and information is available.
“We’ll have our free resources at the field days we attend and we’ll also be letting people know about the beyondblue Support Service. Our trained mental health professionals are available 24/7 on 1300 22 4636 to listen and provide information and advice to people.”
Mr Nichols said his experience with beyondblue and his farming background motivated him to lend a hand.
“I spent a several weeks last year as a volunteer bus driver with beyondblue’s National Roadshow and I saw how important beyondblue’s work is and the high demand for information and support.
“My wife Barb and I look forward to travelling around Australia to these field days with beyondblue’s info and encouraging people to seek support in tough times.”
The Weekly Times is supporting beyondblue’s Rural Field Days Roadshow with advertising and a series of stories on depression, anxiety, suicide risks and what this means for country people.
“We are incredibly grateful to The Weekly Times for partnering with us to shed light on this important issue. Getting people in communities talking about mental health is an important first step in tackling mental health issues and getting people to take action to get help, ” Ms Harman said.
Source: beyondblue
