Crew4Life's amazing in-person get together
Crew4Life participating in a range of activities — brainstorming, discussions, mentoring and games
Crew4Life members travelled from all over the state to attend their second-ever in-person get together at The Community Hub in Docklands on Saturday 7 June.
Largely based in rural and regional areas, 16 Crew4Life members converged on Melbourne for the event, with some travelling from Portland and Hamilton, some from Moira and Benalla, some from Ballarat and the Macedon Ranges, and some from Baw Baw. For some it was a long solo trip and the first time they have been able to meet fellow members face to face.
Crew4Life in person events are all about reinforcing connections across disparate rural and regional communities, and providing an opportunity for Crew4Life to plan their approach to to the year in an environment that allows for lots of spontaneous brainstorming, discussion, and mentoring from Live4Life staff. They are also just loads of fun, involving heaps of games and, this year, a Crew4Life-devised playlist to provide a soundtrack to the day!
Crew4Life members at The Community Hub in Docklands
The two big items for the day were devising a Crew4Life Theme and planning a Crew Webinar. Crew4Life reflected on the theme development process that is a big part of the Crew experience, and why themes are important, before delving into conversations around what mental health means to Crew4Life, what common issues they see among their peers, and what young people want to hear. The provisional theme will be discussed with the broader membership at the next Kick Back. So stay tuned for the big announcement!
The Crew Webinar project is designed to provide a way for Crew4Life to connect with current Crews across the substantial geographical distances between communities. It's all about young people leading the conversations around mental health, and the ideas were coming thick and fast as Crew4Life explored topics and discussed guest speakers.
Reflecting at the conclusion of the day, many members indicated the event was a rare and valuable opportunity to have meaningful conversations and delve into mental health advocacy topics. Many mentioned they couldn't believe that this was the first time they were all meeting, as they felt so comfortable around each other.
It was just brilliant to see so much passionate, kind, and supportive energy from these incredible volunteers as they shared ideas and contributions and excitement for the the year ahead.
Crew4Life expands young people’s agency and involvement in the work of Live4Life, offering a continuing pathway for additional development, training and mentorship for those who have been involved with a Live4Life Crew. This advanced cohort in turn becomes an important resource for rural and regional communities — a network of young Mental Health Ambassadors who have a deep understanding and experience of the Live4Life program.