Events planned to help community become more suicide aware
Published on 29 August 2024
Council is partnering with local organisations to provide two potentially lifesaving events for R U OK? Day.
On R U OK? Day (Thursday, September 12) council’s Sarina Neighbourhood Centre is partnering with OrangeSky to deliver a Conversations and Cupcakes event from 9am to 11am.
Mackay Regional Council Libraries are partnering with Grapevine Group to offer special R U OK? Day SafeTALK Suicide Prevention Training at Dudley Denny City Library on Saturday, September 14, from 9.30am to 12.30pm.
OrangeSky has invited services to host information and interactive stalls at the Conversations and Cupcakes event while they offer their laundry service at the wash pods located behind the Sarina Neighbourhood Centre and Sarina Library building.
Support services currently participating include Centrelink, selectability, Mackay Regional Community Legal Centre, Nurse Next Door, Office of Fair Trading, Footprints Community - Care Finder, and Housing Older Women's Support Service.
Mayor Greg Williamson said the event would be offering free cupcakes to encourage everyone to stay for a chat.
“Both events are about having vital conversions with those who might not seem themselves,” Mayor Williamson said.
“If someone seems like they are not okay, then having a simple conversation with them can make a huge difference to their mental wellbeing,” he said.
“The whole message behind R U OK? Day is to have regular, meaningful conversations with the people close to you to help prevent small things from becoming big things.
“SafeTALK Suicide Prevention Training takes the next step and is a three-hour suicide alertness workshop for anyone to become a suicide-alert helper.
“It’s a completely free training course that provides lifesaving tips on how to identify and talk to those who might need help, link those people with help and find ways to offer them hope.
“Suicide is all too often a silent killer in our community, but its impacts are far reaching.
“One in two young people are impacted by suicide by the time they turn 25 and more than 3000 deaths by suicide occur each year in Australia.
“It’s vital that we do what we can to reduce this number – and often all it takes is a simple conversation and knowing how to direct those in need to resources.”
Grapevine Group President Debbie Knight said that it was vital that the community had on hand the local list of suicide prevention services.
“The list appears on the help-a-mate cards and within Grapevine Group’s free phone app and grapevinegroup.org.au,” Ms Knight said.
“Knowing where to find your local services gives people an opportunity to connect to life-saving support when it is needed,” she said.
“With all Mackay Regional Council Libraries acting as bulk distribution points for Grapevine’s help-a-mate wallet cards, people can drop into any branch and collect bundles.
“We encourage organisations to distribute them to staff, volunteers or players.”
To book your spot in the Grapevine Group’s SafeTALK training, head to https://bit.ly/4e3Lu3R or download the Mackay Libraries app.
Sites are still available for additional services to participate in the Conversations and Cupcakes event.
For more information, please contact Sarina Neighbourhood Centre on 4961 9290 or sarinaneighbourhoodcentre@mackay.qld.gov.au.
Image: SafeTALK trainer Tamara Flynn delivering SafeTALK Suicide Prevention Training.