A Night Under the Stars for mental health in the bush
Member for Central Wheatbelt Mia Davies MLA has congratulated the organisers of the second “A Night Under the Stars” event held over the weekend at historic Buckland Estate in the Avon Valley.
Attending with Opposition Leader Shane Love and Member for the Agricultural Region Martin Aldridge MLC, The Nationals WA team joined 650 others to don their best gear and boots to dance the night away under the stars while raising funds and awareness for mental health in the bush.
Blue Tree Project founder Kendall Whyte and a dedicated team delivered the second of these events, designed to improve mental health awareness and raise funds for service organisations offering support to people living in regional WA.
Opening the event, Ms Davies said everyone had a responsibility to educate themselves and look out for family and friends when it came to mental health and well-being.
“One in four people in Australia will be impacted by mental ill health every year, and in regional WA we have twice the rate of suicide compared to our metropolitan counterparts,” she said.
“The statistics show that farmers, young men, older people, and aboriginal people face the greatest risk of suicide in our communities.”
The event contributes funds to organisations focused on regional health and well-being, encouraging a shift in
culture around how regional communities deal with mental health issues.
“Regional West Australians are resilient, but mental health is often neglected to make space for the critical
task of keeping businesses, farms and communities running,” she said.
“The ‘she’ll be right’ attitude costs lives – we all need to acknowledge that it’s okay not to be okay, but more importantly that support is available, even in the far-flung reaches of our State.”
The Nationals WA team in the Agricultural Region were pleased to be one of the many sponsors for this amazing event.