Isaiah Gowans was convinced his Uncle Dallas must have had some influence on the result.
The family lost Dallas, who was an avid Collingwood supporter, in 2017 as the result of suicide at the age of 22.
His mother, Norma, is a strong advocate for more assistance for those with mental health problems, particularly in regional areas.
• Anyone requiring crisis support can contact Accessline on 1800 800 944, Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14, BeyondBlue on 1300 224 636 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.
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October is Mental Health month, and this year the theme is ‘We all have a role to play’.
This month, we are encouraged to think about ways we can look after ourselves and each other.
This theme is particularly relevant to the Southern Riverina Wellbeing Collaborative (SRWC) who got together 18 months ago to raise awareness, develop capacity and reduce the stigma of mental health in our local communities.
The collaborative understood their role in this early on, when it became apparent that community members weren’t aware of local support services.
The SRWC members sought to identify services available to local members and have been working on promoting these and connecting community members to these.
The SRWC has also played a role in advocating to bring services to the local community by identifying risks and areas of need and communicating these to services funded to support locals.
The local group partnered with and is supported by Lifeline Australia, Headspace National, NSW Health, the Berrigan Shire Council, Intereach, Centacare and other local and state based organisations.
It meets monthly to work towards better supporting the community.
Because of these relationships, more local people are becoming aware of services available to them.
If you would like to access support for your mental health, you have a few different ways to do so.
You can speak with your GP and ask for a mental health plan and a referral to a mental health professional. This will allow you to access subsidised counselling sessions either in person or online.
You can call ACCESSLINE on 1800 800 944 and speak with a trained staff member who will talk to you about your concerns, offer advice and information on supports, make referrals to local services, suggest strategies to reduce and manage your distress until your appointment and guide you to further support if you are in crisis or feel unsafe.
If you are in crisis or feel unsafe you can call 000 or attend a local hospital.
Locals also have the option of visiting the Intereach office in Murray Street, Finley where they will find friendly staff who can help guide them to supports that will best meet their needs.
Other phone numbers people can call for support include Lifeline 13 11 14, Mensline 1300 78 99 78, Headspace 1800 650 890, and KidsHelpline 1800 55 1800.
The collaborative continues to work with their stakeholders including community members to identify gaps in services and build awareness of available support.
If you are interested in the work the collaborative does and want to know more or would like to participate in training or events, please email hello@southernriverinawellbeing.com.au.
Many thanks to Catherine Healy for supplying the above information.
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The Langunyah/Finley Red Cross group would like to extend an invitation to members of the community to attend a fun afternoon of playing Beetle (remember your childhood?).
This will be held at the Uniting Church Hall on Wednesday, October 11 commencing at 2pm and will be followed by afternoon tea.
Entry fee is $5 and there will be a $5 raffle, as well as a door prize.
Everyone is welcome.
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Just a reminder that the next meeting of the Neuro support group will be held in the soccer rooms, located at Finley Showgrounds, next Monday, October 9.
The meeting starts at 7pm and supper is provided.
This is a very informal gathering to discuss the problems of dealing with a neurological disease such as MS, Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease, cerebral palsy, ALS, stroke and many more.
Those diagnosed with any of these neurological disorders and their carers are most welcome to attend.
Further information can be obtained by contacting Jane on 0439 959 201 or Davina on 0418 623 115.
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Items for ‘From Finley’ may be submitted by phoning 0428 293 922, emailing anne.freestone@bigpond.com or left at the Southern Riverina News office.
Please include a contact name and phone number.
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