The original walk was the brainchild of passionate mental health advocate Vicki Stewart, a past president and long-time member of the Rotary Club of Mooloolaba.
Vicki wanted to raise funds for mental illness research and the vital role it plays in understanding and treating complex mental health issues and break down the barriers around mental illness so that people will be more comfortable discussing it and seeking help for their mental health problems.
With a new name and new look, the “LIFT THE LID WALK for Mental Health” is the first for the region and part of an exciting new, national community walk series hosted by Australian Rotary Health (ARH) and Rotary District clubs, and the timing could not be more important.
“After six successful years in Mooloolaba and raising more than $100,000 for Australian Rotary Health so far, we are delighted to be rolling out walk events in 26 locations across the coming year,” Vicki said.
“The fundraising is vital however, it is not all about the money. We do need that for the research, but at this point, it is so much more important to have the conversation and break down the social stigma of mental health, as it affects so many people.”
Yarrawonga Mulwala Rotary Club event co-ordinator Ron Kennett said the walk and talk format is deliberately not a race.
“The walk is an opportunity to get locals and community organisations together to raise awareness of the serious mental health issues we face in all areas of our communities, schools, homes, and workplaces,” Ron said.
“Everyone has someone to walk for, whether it be a family member, friend or work mate.
“Tragically, we are still seeing eight people take their own lives every day in Australia. What is even more disturbing is that there is an attempted suicide every 8 minutes.”
Suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians between the ages of 15 and 44 (AIHW, 2022) and it is estimated the impact of suicide deaths are felt by up to 135 people, including family members, work colleagues, friends, first responders at the time of death (Cerel et al., 2019).
In addition to these alarming statistics, there are countless thousands of people of all ages who suffer from a wide range of mental health illnesses. This is another reason why mental health research is so important.
“Now more than ever, we need to break down the stigma that continues to plague our society so that people are more comfortable discussing and seeking help for their mental health issues,” Ron added.
As the sole beneficiary, 100% of funds raised from the LIFT THE LID WALKS will support vital Australian Rotary Health research.
Australian Rotary Health (ARH) is a national, not-for-profit organisation that funds mental health research and provides community education about health issues. The organisation supports work on a broad range of health problems but specialises in mental health. They are one of the largest independent funders of mental illness research over the past two decades in Australia. Funding more than $53 million in projects, ARH funded research has played a founding role in establishing vital programs such as teen Mental health First Aid (tMHFA) and Cool Kids.
ARH CEO, Joy Gillett OAM, further added, “this is a great initiative that originated in Mooloolaba and we are so excited to see it grow. It gives the opportunity for every Rotary Club in Australia to host a community walk - to create awareness of mental health, to support Australian Rotary Health, and to raise much-needed funds for research.”
National Walk Committee Chairman, PDG Michael Buckeridge said, “we're thrilled to be hosting this wonderful initiative in Yarrawonga”.
“We are part of a volunteer army and the community we live in is at the heart of what we do and why we do it. It’s never been more important for us to play a role in supporting mental health in our local communities than it is right now.
“Our walks are deliberately designed to focus on the difference we can make at a local level. Starting a conversation, bringing together adults, children, services, business and media to make a genuine connection, where we live, because the numbers tell us, we all know someone who is suffering!”
To find out more about how you can get involved as sponsor or to register for this event, visit: www.liftthelidwalk.com.au/yarrawonga-mulwala
For more information on Australian Rotary Health, visit www.australianrotaryhealth.org.au
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