UPPER HUNTER WELLBEING WEEK

There’s something special about the power of shared purpose, particularly when it comes from a group of Year 12 students who want to make a difference in their local community.

A group of these leaders from Scone Grammer School (SGS), Muswellbrook High School (MHS) and St Joseph’s High School (SJA) are doing just that. They’ve decided to host an Upper Hunter Wellbeing Week, sponsored by APIAN Animal Health, to be celebrated across the region from 20 to 26 October.

Lauren Stevenson from SJA said they want everyone to come together as a community.

“We are such a small local community in the Upper Hunter so we want people to come together and understand how important human connection is and how we thrive when we are with other people compared to walking alone.

“It’ll also encourage people to learn more about mental health and how people can help each other in our local community,” Lauren said.

The leaders are being supported by Where There’s A Will (WTAW), a community focused and locally funded charity that exists to create a new normal where enhanced mental health and wellbeing is taught through education.

It’s like the Slip Slop Slap campaign for being sun safe, but WTAW focuses on educating locals as young as preschool about wellbeing and mental health. Glencore is a major sponsor of WTAW and are registering for Wellbeing Week.

“I think we’re a pretty fortunate generation, I know Hallie and I both went to Scone Public so WTAW was fostered into our schooling from year 5 so it’s been a normality for us. I think that’s why our group is so passionate about this project as well because it’s been drilled into us from a young age,” Lauren said.

“We’re doing a lot more things around mental health, there are so many more opportunities for younger kids now compared to a few years ago when it wasn’t really a thing. At our schools we’re learning about how to ask if people are okay and how to bring it up in conversation – I think it is getting more normalised by the generations coming through,” said Hallie Croucher from SGS.

Despite the Upper Hunter Wellbeing Week being around their final school exams, Sienna Johnston from SGS said they’ve got lots planned and plenty of workplaces are getting behind it too.

“The week will look different for everyone, whether its something at the workplace, at home or individual – the idea is that everyone gets something out of it in the end, maybe by making a new connection or just learning more about wellbeing.

“We learn so much at school through WTAW but workplaces and people outside our space often aren’t aware of it so it gives them the opportunity to learn and find out what tools are available,” Sienna said.

The week will be led by the students and supported by WTAW. It’ll act as a platform for schools, families, workplaces and community groups to come together in simple, meaningful ways and is a call to action that “wellbeing is everyone’s business”.