Mental Health Matters Round success
Over the weekend, the Whyalla community got together for the inaugural 'Mental Health Matters Round,' which proved to be a huge success. Mayor Phill Stone spoke highly of the event stating ‘’It is great to see the Whyalla community come together to support the round, we hope to expand this event for many years to come.’’
The round saw Whyalla Football League (WFL) A-grade players play a round of football in Guernsey’s specially designed by local school students Harper Anderson, Elizabeth Ferguson and Ignatious Champion Hunter.
The Friday game was accompanied by former AFL players Rory Sloane and James Podsiadly who not only met with the community but also delivered an opening speech emphasising the importance of mental health and the event itself.
Local services such as Mission Australia, headspace, Whyalla Suicide Prevention Network and Carer’s SA came out to show their support and offered activities for kids to do such as, face painting, kite making, a chill out zone and more. The weekend concluded with a performance by Emma Taylor and Lost in Sounds at the Westlands, drawing a crowd of around 200 people.
Jeremy Edwards from INATT (I’m Not Afraid To Talk) said it was great to see the community support this event, ‘I am very pleased with how the event turned out. Keeping the conversation about mental health alive is crucial, and this event showcased the support and resources available in Whyalla. I’m especially grateful to Rory Sloane and James Podsiadly for their participation and their words on the importance of mental health.”
A huge thank you goes out to the WFL and all the players involved. The success of the Mental Health Matters Round wouldn’t have been possible without their involvement.
This event was a collaboration between Whyalla City Council, headspace and the Whyalla Football League (WFL); being funded by Wellbeing SA and Whyalla Suicide Prevention Network. A huge thank you to our local sponsors INATT, Santos, Golding, Cleanaway, BOC, Stassi Consulting Engineers, Country Outback Health and Aquest for helping make the event possible.
