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Slow response to attempt to save farmer health centre

ABC Rural  |  Lucy Barbour  |  Thursday, 17 May 2012
An online petition to save the National Centre for Farmer Health at Hamilton in western Victoria is struggling to find support.   The centre is likely to close after the Victorian Government cut its funding in this year's State Budget.   The petition was started by rural mental health campaigner Alison Fairleigh, from Ayr in northern Queensland, and will be presented in the Victorian Parliament in early June.  Miss Fairleigh says she's only received about 240 signatures so far.   "I think it says two things. One, farmers aren't aware of what is being done for them through the National Centre for Farmer Health. The other thing that it says is that a lot of farmers are just so tired of hearing about these sorts of things that they tune out," she said.  Click here to sign petition
 

Young mental health carers 'struggling to cope'

ABC News | May 14, 2012
A survey has found a high number of children under the age of 16 are caring for relatives with mental health problems, and many of them are struggling to cope with the burden. More than 1,000 Australians were interviewed for the Wesley Mission report, which found 90 per cent of relatives of people with a mental illness are suffering physically, mentally and financially. Three quarters of respondents said their role as caregivers had adversely affected their relationships with family and friends, and 57 per cent said their financial situation had deteriorated...(read on) 

Rotary Club of Townsville Daybreak establish and fund 3yr PhD research scholarship

Monday 14th May 2012
During a breakfast for the MIFNQ Townsville Daybreak Rotary Sunflower Awards held Monday morning, Marcel McLeod President of Rotary Club of Townsville Daybreak, announced that this year the Rotary Club of Townsville Daybreak will be donating money raised through the ABB Mining Golf Challenge, which is organised and run by the club, to establish and fund a 3 year PhD research scholarship through James Cook University focused on the Mental health issues relating to FIFO Mine workers, their families and communities.
We aim to be ready to commence the PhD Scholarship in either February/March 2013 (1st semester) and it will be funded from the proceeds of the Mining Golf Challenge over the next three years at a cost of $18,000 per year. This is and exciting step forward to address mental health issues that are currently being overlooked by mining companies and contractors to this industry, where their main focus is on preventing physical injuries cause through unsafe work practices.”
Australian Rotary Health is one of Australia’s largest non-government funding bodies for mental health research.  Australian Rotary Health is able to use donations raised by Rotary Clubs, individuals and corporations to fund research into areas of health that do not readily attract funding.
 

Schizophrenia Awareness Week
Sunflower Award Winners

The Mental Illness Fellowship of North Queensland and Townsville Daybreak Rotary, would like to congratulate all the nominees on their inspirational achievements and contribution to the North Queensland community.Go to full list of Winners