March 30, 2015
Marches held around the South Burnett on Saturday to draw attention to the lack of adequate mental health facilities in the region drew a mixed response, organisers say.
In Blackbutt, Nanango and Kingaroy, a combined 120 people took part in marches held at Les Muller Park, Reg McCallum Park and near the Glendon Street Town Hall Forecourt.
But similar marches held in Murgon and Wondai drew no one, although organisers conceded that in Wondai, their march conflicted with the Wondai Country Markets and this may have been a factor affecting turnout.
The “March For Mental Health” – and a free concert that followed in the Glendon Street forecourt on Saturday afternoon – was organised by Kaye Hibbs from Pathway 2 Hope Ltd, and Sandy Towell from Boots’n Bulldust Ltd.
The aim of the event was to raise awareness about how widespread mental illnesses such as depression are in the region, and draw attention to the need for more Federal and State Government investment in better mental health services for rural and regional areas.
A petition organised by the pair has already attracted almost 1100 signatures, and will soon be presented to local politicians.
Today Sandy Towell told southburnett.com.au she was very happy with the weekend’s effort, despite a disappointing turnout in the northern towns.
“Many people told us that the stories that came out in the afternoon concert, where well-known local performers like Amber Goldsmith and Tori Summers shared their own stories about battling with depression, were eye-opening,” she said.
“We had many people tell us that they had no idea depression was so widespread.
“Quite a few asked for advice on where they could get more information. And some asked how they could help.”
She said the day had also helped many people get a better understanding of the region’s mental health statistics, which was a very positive outcome.
“And the concert itself was absolutely fantastic,” Sandy said.
- Related article: Marchers Step Out For Mental Health
