EVENT POSTPONED. WE WILL ADVISE REVISED DATE AS SOON AS WE KNOW.

On Monday the 25th January 2016, the Victorian Farmers Federation will be running a workshop in Wedderburn called “Look Over The Farm Gate”.

The season has been pretty tough for our farmers, but it doesn’t just affect them. Periods of dry affect the entire community and in many ways. Obviously the farmers are the first to feel it with crops not growing and dams not filling, but then this extends to cash flow and poor harvests. In turn this means less money to spend in our towns, so the small businesses are affected also.

Financial pressures in small businesses can result in loss of jobs and increased friction between employees. Yet the real cause is simply the weather and the circumstances.

The big blue bus, fondly known as Roadshow Rhonda, from beyondblue has been on a national road show since February 2014. It will travel over 50,000 kilometres by the time it has finished its journey and will have travelled through every state and territory in Australia, encouraging and supporting people everywhere to 'Take 1 step' towards better mental health. It is now embarking on the journey's final leg through Victoria and will visit Wedderburn and Inglewood on Thursday 7 May.

The Five Ways to Wellbeing are a set of evidence-based actions which promote people’s wellbeing. They are: Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Give. These activities are simple things individuals can do in their everyday lives.

The Five Ways to Wellbeing were developed by New Economics Foundation from evidence gathered in the UK government’s Foresight Project on Mental Capital and Wellbeing. The project, published in 2008, drew on state-of-the-art research about mental capital and mental wellbeing through life. The Five Ways to Wellbeing were developed to communicate its key findings.

The Five Ways have been used by health organisations, schools and community projects across the UK and around the world to help people take action to improve their wellbeing. They’ve been used in lots of different ways, for example to get people to start thinking about wellbeing, to develop organisational strategy, to measure impact, to assess need, for staff development, and to help people to incorporate more wellbeing-promoting activities into their lives.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has released the suicide statistics for 2013.  The rate remains consistently high which is of concern to all the agencies working on reducing suicide in Australia.

Suicide still remains the leading cause of death for Australians between the ages of 15 and 44. It is also concerning that 75% of suicides are men. The issue of suicide remains a high priority for the Loddon Healthy Minds Network.

Lifeline, a leading agency in dealing with prevention of suicide has produced the following media release which discusses the statistics.

Since the first men’s shed opened its doors in 1998 they have been popping up all over the country, including in Loddon Shire.

There must be a reason for that explosion of growth. As Weekly Times journalist Dale Webster discovered when she visited Boort Men’s Shed, it’s more than just having a place to make stuff.

Mental Health First Aid instructor training – Course sponsorship

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training ensures that the skills to assist people with mental health problems are spread beyond mental health professionals, and contribute towards improved support, early detection and treatment of mental health problems while reducing stigma attached to mental illness.

Having qualified MHFA instructors delivering programs in our community ensures that we are teaching people the first aid skills needed to support people with mental health problems.

The Loddon Healthy Minds Network is providing up to $5,000 sponsorship for one Loddon resident to undertake the standard Mental Health First Aid Instructor training course.

The Loddon Healthy Minds Committee are delighted to announce the winners of the 2015 Art Show.  We had a much bigger field of entries this year, particularly with entries coming from the Open Section.  It has been a great way of spreading the message about mental health, not only throughout the Shire, but we have had a wider reach.  Although people outside the Shire were unable to enter the competition, they do at least see the positive moves we are making towards improving the mental health of our residents through art.

And the winners are..........

In February 2015 local lady Tara Stomann will be embarking on an epic fundraising challenge. She will be taking on a bicycle ride across Cambodia to raise money for Lifeline Australia. The event will be with a team aiming to cover 350km over 6 days.

The team is seeking to raise $80,000 in total. Tara has taken up this challenge because she is currently a personal volunteer with Lifeline in Bendigo. She has had the opportunity to experience first hand just how critical the service is for people across Australia and wants to contribute further to the organisation.

Mental Health week runs from 4 October until 10 October and aims to activate, educate and engage Victorians about mental health through a week of interactive events across the state.

This year the Loddon Healthy Minds Network in association with the Wedderburn Lions Club and Wedderburn College will be holding a Sunshine Breakfast on Thursday 8 October at Jacka Park in Wedderburn.

Come along to Jacka Park from 8am for a free breakfast, enjoy music performed by students from Wedderburn College and check out the entries in the annual art competition. Members of the Healthy Minds Network will be there with information about available mental health services.

A new feature of the 2014 Victorian Mental Health Act is the inclusion of an individual known as a Nominated Person. Their role is to assist in providing support for the patient and also to protect their interests. In addition, the Nominated Person may help the patient in exercising their rights. They can also help communicate the views and preferences of the patient with regard to their treatment and recovery plans.

A Nominated Person will be provided with information throughout the patient's treatment and recovery. They will also be advised if there is a Mental Health Tribunal hearing to take place.