(Photo: Bronwyn Marquardt)
September 4, 2014
By Bronwyn Marquardt *
One of the things I love most about journalism is the interesting people I meet.
There are scientists, singers, celebrities, and authors, but it’s the everyday people doing extraordinary things who really make feature-writing worthwhile.
Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kingaroy woman Kaye Hibbs.
The creator of mental health support group and drop-in centre Pathway 2 Hope, Kaye is passionate about providing help for the people of the South Burnett with mental illness.
“Many people fall through the gaps because of a lack of resources in the area,” Kaye explains.
“There can be a long wait in between appointments with psychiatrists, psychologists and even doctors, and sometimes people just need someone to talk to. It can take months just to get a diagnosis.”
Kaye, who manages five mental illnesses with the help of medication and counselling, funds Pathway2Hope with a shop at 30 King St, Kingaroy, with the help of donations from the public.
And when news came that beyondblue’s Big Blue Bus Roadshow was touring the country, but bypassing the South Burnett, Kaye was once again, spurred into action.
“The South Burnett has the highest suicide rate in the State,” says Kaye. “I have never gone out on a limb before in my life. I guess I never had anything before now that I felt worth fighting for.”
One local funeral director estimates that up to 25 deaths per year in the region are due to suicide, although the numbers are probably higher.
So in March, Kaye got onto her computer and designed her own petition to bring the beyondblue bus to Kingaroy.
She printed out multiple copies and handed it out to volunteers and local businesses, asking people to sign it to show their support for the bus to visit the South Burnett. Disclosure: I was also roped into the cause, and took the petition to my gym, Cardio Central.
In the end, Kaye collected more than 250 signatures asking for the beyondblue bus to come to the South Burnett – and the organisation agreed.
The whole idea of the roadshow was to take the beyondblue bus to the country, where the demand for mental health information, support and services, did not match what was available.
“Whether we’re in capital cities, regional centres or the outback, this Roadshow is revealing the widespread impact of depression, anxiety and suicide on individuals and communities,” says beyondblue CEO Georgie Harman.
“We have been touched by the number of people sharing their experiences with us and I thank Kaye and the Kingaroy community for insisting we visit them.”
The bus will be at the Nanango markets on Saturday morning before moving on to Kingaroy’s Memorial Park for lunch between 12:30pm and 2:30pm.
The event is free and all are welcome.
The beyondblue and Pathway2Hope teams will be on hand to offer advice, support, brochures and other information. While there will be little time for any personal help, the beyondblue team will take details to lend support after the event and give hope to those in the South Burnett living with mental illnesses.
Before’s Kaye’s campaign, beyondblue had no idea the South Burnett had the highest suicide rate in the State. The closest to the region they had planned to travel to was Toowoomba.
“I told them and they looked into it. and they said ‘How could they possibly refuse’ with all the signatures we had,” she says. “It was a wonderful feeling.”
It just goes to show the power that one person, plus people power, can have to bring change to a small community.
Pathway2Hope Ltd, South Burnett, is at 30 King St, Kingaroy. They are desperate for donations of clothes, collectibles, books, furniture and other items to sell, to fund their support service and drop in centre.
Those with mental illnesses or their carers can also drop in for a cuppa and a chat with volunteers at any time.
For more information about the beyondblue roadshow, go here http://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-involved/the-beyondblue-national-roadshow/about-the-roadshow
* Bronwyn Marquardt blogs at Maid In Australia
