{"id":309073,"date":"2021-11-09T19:54:56","date_gmt":"2021-11-09T09:54:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=309073"},"modified":"2021-11-09T19:54:56","modified_gmt":"2021-11-09T09:54:56","slug":"volunteers-enjoy-a-night-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2021\/11\/09\/volunteers-enjoy-a-night-off\/","title":{"rendered":"Volunteers Enjoy A Night Off"},"content":{"rendered":"
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South Burnett Suicide Prevention Working Group chair Cr Danita Potter with guest speaker Sam Thaiday<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

November 9, 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n

Volunteers who have been working hard behind the scenes for more than a decade to tackle mental health issues in the South Burnett took a well-earned break on Friday night.<\/p>\n

The South Burnett Suicide Prevention Working Group had planned to mark its 10th birthday last year, but COVID scuttled that plan.<\/p>\n

So the group waited until there was a break in the pandemic to schedule their birthday celebrations, officially marking 11 years on Friday.<\/p>\n

The dinner, which attracted about 120 guests, was held at the Kingaroy Town Hall.<\/p>\n

Guest speaker was former NRL great and Broncos captain Sam Thaiday, who retired from top-level league in 2018.<\/p>\n

Sam has a popular podcast, “We Are Human”, which looks at mental health issues among elite sports stars.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The podcast also details Sam’s own story … the highs and lows of growing up in a mixed race family, his struggles with low self-esteem and how he handled the end of his NRL career.<\/p>\n

South Burnett Suicide Prevention Working Group chair, Cr Danita Potter, said it had been a really good night, and an opportunity for the group members to relax.<\/p>\n

“Sam was amazing,” she said.<\/p>\n

“He spoke about his history and mental health issues.”<\/p>\n

Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington also spoke about her connections with the group, which go back to the very early days in 2010.<\/p>\n

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If you or someone you know needs help, call:<\/strong><\/p>\n