The Dean-Newlyn Young Farmers are hosting a trivia night this Saturday to raise awareness of mental health in farming communities.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The small group of around 25 young farmers gather regularly to talk about ways they can be more involved within the community and to come up with ideas for events they can host to assist people doing it tough in farming communities.
Established more than 65 years ago under the umbrella of the Victorian Young Farmers, the group brings together young people from the land, but is not restricted to just farmers.
Secretary of Dean-Newlyn Young Farmers, Kayla James, said the group booked the trivia night as a more light-hearted approach to broaching the subject of mental health.
“The aim of the night is to get mental health awareness out there and get people talking about it… Suicide doesn’t really get spoken about in Creswick’s farming community. There’s no real advocate for it so we thought we would give it a bit of a run,” she said.
Ms James said raising awareness of suicide was especially important while drought was affecting so many farmers across Australia.
“There are a lot more suicides coming off rural properties as a result,” she said.
The aim of the night is to get mental health awareness out there and get people talking about it.
- Kayla James
Ms James said the group was trying to reach more young people to become part of the group.
“You don’t have to have a farming background to join,” she said.
“A lot of our members are off the land at the moment but it’s about keeping our young farmers around in the region.
“We are the next generation and we are going to be needed to keep all the farms running in the future.”
At the end of the year, the group donates all of the profits made from events to a family in need or a local charity.
The trivia evening will be run by Yeehaa trivia and will feature guest speakers from S.O.S survivors of suicide.
S.O.S was founded by Kristy Steenhuis after she lost her husband to suicide in 2005.
The service aims to reduce the stigma surrounding suicide, serve as a support service to those touched by it while preventing future cases through providing education and public awareness.
The trivia night will be hosted at Creswick’s Doug Lindsay Reserve from 7.00pm onward. To book a place or a table, call Kayla James on 0428 844 766.
