Moira Shire Council to celebrate student’s fight against mental health illness

Article in Shepparton News Published 21 August 2023.

Vital training: More than 450 year 8 students completed their mental health training in order to build awareness and reduce the stigma of mental health challenges.

Cobram Sports Centre will host the Live4Life Mental Health Expo on Thursday, September 7.

The event will celebrate the more than 450 year 8 students across eight secondary schools who have completed their teen mental health first aid training.

Moira Shire Council Director of Sustainable Communities, Janet Martin, said that the students’ achievements should be celebrated.

“The Mental Health Expo demonstrates to the students who completed their teen mental health first aid training that this is not only significant, but also something to take pride in,” Ms Martin said.

“This event provides them with the platform to showcase their learnings and skills,”

Ms Martin said that the expo will give the Live4Life crew the chance to take charge of a major event and apply, as well as show, everyone the expertise they have learnt.

The expo’s theme will be ‘With an Umbrella, we can face the rain together’.

It will be designed to build community resilience to address mental health, highlights awareness of local resources, and eliminates barriers that deter young people from seeking assistance.

The expo will feature stalls and activities hosted by 12 community organisations, including Upper Murray Family Care, NCN Health, Yarrawonga Health, Wellways, Headspace, Junction Support Services, The Bridge Youth Services, Dutch Thunder Wildlife Rescue, Salvation Army, Uniting Vic Tas, New Remedy Therapy, Youth Foundation, Youth Live4Life, and Moira Foodshare.

The event will feature photo booths, glitter tattoos, meditation, gratitude exercises, mindfulness practices, and a lively smoothie bike.

Live4Life runs a unique mental health education and youth suicide prevention program for rural and regional communities.

The group delivers teenage and accredited youth mental health first aid training for school students and promotes students as mental health ambassadors.

Data shows that youth in regional and rural areas suffer from more mental health problems than their metropolitan counterparts and that suicide rates are 40 per cent higher than in metropolitan areas.