THROUGHOUT the past 20 years or so, perhaps nothing has grown in stature as much as mental health.
Countless organisations, individuals, sports teams, associations and plenty of other bodies have worked hard to erase the stigma surrounding talking about mental health and wellbeing.
While undoubtedly there remains plenty of work to be done, with funding in the mental health space likely to be an issue well into the foreseeable future, the fight is certainly being fought.
Gracing the pages of this week’s edition is a number of people from our patch doing their bit to raise both funds and awareness.
We are currently in the middle of the busiest time of year for these organisations, with World Suicide Prevention Day (Sep- tember 10) and ‘R U OK?’ Day (September 12) both front of mind right now.
The courage on display from those involved in fundraising efforts is inspiring to say the least.
It can be hard to quantify how big of a difference events like the Ride Against Suicide (page one) are actually making.
While the dollar amount is always a pleasant surprise as every cent counts in a sector in desperate need of help in a number of fields, but the flow-on effect of increased visibility is hard to know.
How many people has this organisation helped simply by highlighting that the loss of life suffered at the hands of poor mental health is too high?
How many people drove past the crew in yellow walking to Adelaide Oval (page three) last week and thought to themselves about their own mental health, or that of someone they love?
We know for a fact that the suicide rate is higher in those sleeping rough or doing it tough financially, so how many people has the Hope Cup (page three) saved?
We can track where the funds go and what they lead to, but on pure visibility and awareness levels alone the value of weeks like this are immeasurable.
Within this truth lies the beauty of what these people are doing.
We will never know how many they have saved and there is no personal gain on offer – they simply put their hand up to make a positive change.
Kudos to those in the community that have helped already and for those looking to get involved, there is no time like the present. If you need crisis support, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14. If life is in danger, call 000.
