Grassroots mental health initiatives receive a $200,000 boost

Media Releases, 21 November 2018

Bendigo, 22 November 2018: The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) has announced the first recipients of the In a Good Place grants program. The funds support projects that improve mental health support in rural, regional and remote communities.

Fourteen projects will share $200,000 through these In a Good Place grants, thanks to CCI Giving, the charitable foundation of Catholic Church Insurance (CCI). Given the pressures and distinct challenges associated with living in rural and regional communities, as well as the widespread and long-term nature of the drought, it was not surprising this program was in high demand, attracting 74 applications seeking more than $1.2M in funds.

The program came about because CCI Giving and FRRR recognise that people living in small rural, regional or remote communities do not have the same level of access to mental health services and care as their urban counterparts. The National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA) reports there are only one third the number of psychologists in remote Australia compared with major cities, and 20 per cent more hospitalisations due to mental illness.

FRRR CEO, Natalie Egleton, says that many applicants quoted alarming statistics about mental health issues in their local regions, reporting rising levels of mental distress and suicide. However, there were some great ideas to respond in a way that will ensure people in need get the support they need.

“NRHA highlight that people living in smaller rural communities, where people are more visible and people know each other, can be apprehensive about seeking help, and fear the stigma often associated with mental illness.

“Thanks to the support of CCI Giving, we have funded projects that will provide support in different ways – from general information sessions, to specific advice services and targeted support. These project will make a difference across all age-groups, from youth to seniors, by improving skills, connecting people with services, and importantly, with each other.”

Roberto Scenna, CEO of CCI and Director of CCI Giving, said that while many of us take our mental health for granted, and can easily access support when we need it, isolation and a lack of services make that much more challenging for those in country areas.

“It is more important than ever to empower local communities to take ownership of their population’s health and wellbeing. There were a number of trusted organisations that applied for funding, including many local faith-based organisations. We are very pleased to be able to provide these funds so they can do this important work and help more people access programs and services that respond to the unique situations they face,” Mr Scenna said.

Some of the locally-led projects funded in Round One of the In a Good Place program include:

  • fLiNG Physical Theatre Inc, NSW – $17,700 – the My Black Dog project will strengthen the mental health and wellbeing of young people in the Bega Valley area by engaging them in performance art and wellbeing workshops. This project will use the arts to discuss relevant youth mental health issues, tackle stigma and equip young people, and the broader community, with coping skills and strategies.
  • Lifeline Tasmania Inc, TAS – $20,000 – Lifeline Tasmania is establishing Suicide Bereavement Groups in four rural communities to decrease isolation and build resilience. The project Suicide Bereavement Group worker will also develop and trial a Suicide Bereavement Group Procedure Manual, with a view to supporting other rural communities to establish their own groups.
  • Rural Communities Australia Ltd, SA – $4,313 – the Country Women Seniors Project is working to address and prevent depression and improve self-worth through storytelling. Through a series of interviews and support groups, older women around Robe will share their personal stories and identify the challenges they face participating in the community and building social connections. This information will help inform ways in which local communities can assist these women to become less isolated.
  • Shire of Augusta Margaret River, WA – $19,279 – the Augusta Margaret River Community Healing and Regeneration Project is a collaborative project in response to a series of traumatic incidents experienced in the community. The project aims to build mental health and community resilience through a series of community walks and planting events to foster healing, reconnection and resilience for the local community at sites significant to the various incidents.

The next round of the In a Good Place program will open in early 2019. Keep an eye on FRRR’s grants calendar for the opening date.

The full list of projects funded is below.

Organisation

Project

Location

Amount Awarded

New South Wales

CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes Limited

Connecting People – “Keeping It Together”
Build community resilience and wellbeing by expanding the Family Relationship Counselling service to four remote NSW communities.

White Cliffs
Pooncarie Tibooburra
Wanaaring

$20,000

Coonamble Neighbourhood Centre

Accidental Counsellor Workshops for community first responders to mental health issues
Build the capacity of the Coonamble and Gilgandra communities to respond to mental illness through the delivery of Accidental Counsellor training to front line workers.

Coonamble
Gilgandra

$15,900

fLiNG Physical Theatre Inc

My Black Dog
Strengthen the mental health and wellbeing of young people by engaging youth in performance art, and wellbeing workshops.

Bega
Pambula
Eden
Bermagui

$17,700

Tenterfield Social Development Committee Inc.

Strengthening Resilience in Tenterfield Youth
Increase the resilience and wellbeing of students at Tenterfield High School by providing in-school behavioural intervention programs.

Tenterfield

$4,500

The Trustee For Raise Foundation

Mentoring at-risk youth (Wee Waa)
Strengthening the resilience, positive coping skills and educational outcomes of at risk adolescents through participation in a school based mentoring program.

Wee Waa

$9,430

Queensland

Burnett Inland Economic Development Organisation Inc

Meeting at the Mail Box – Rural Wellbeing Extension Program
Build capacity and social inclusion in rural Queensland farming communities through provision of and participation in a Rural Wellbeing Extension Program.

Eidsvold
Biggenden
Murgon
Monto

$19,990

South Australia

Rural Communities Australia Ltd

Country Women Seniors Project
Address and prevent depression, improve self-worth and independence, and raise the profile of socially isolated rural senior women, through autobiographical storytelling and group participation.

Robe

$4,313

Tasmania

Fingal Valley Neighbourhood House

Counselling Service for the Fingal Valley
Increase access to mental health services through the provision of a dedicated counselling service for at risk and vulnerable people within the Fingal Valley.

Fingal,
St Marys

$20,000

Lifeline Tasmania Inc

Lifeline Tasmania: Suicide Bereavement Support Groups
Decrease isolation and build resilience through the establishment and implementation of Suicide Bereavement Groups in four rural communities in Tasmania.

Queenstown
Cygnet
Deloraine
Longford

$20,000

Victoria

Rochester Secondary College

Building Connections – Social Emotional Learning Program
Improve the resilience, life skills and overall wellbeing of students through the provision of a part-time social worker at the Rochester Secondary College.

Rochester

$18,864

Simpson & District Community Centre Inc

Mental Health – a community response
Build the capacity of the Simpson community to respond to and prevent mental illness through the delivery of Mental Health First Aid training to front line workers.

Simpson

$3,484

Western Australia

Anglicare WA

Come for a Yarn – Healing Circle
Strengthen the mental health of women impacted by domestic and family violence through participation in an eight-week women’s healing circle.

Derby,

Broome

$16,190

Coorow Community Resource Centre Incorporated

Coorow – On Speaking Terms
Strengthen whole of community sense of identity, resilience and cohesion through a series of coordinated community events.

Coorow

$10,350

Shire Of Augusta Margaret River

Augusta Margaret River Community Healing and Regeneration Project
Build mental health and community resilience after three recent traumatic occurrences, through a series of collaborative, whole of community participatory events and community walks at sites significant to the various incidents.

Margaret River

$19,279
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Amy Crawford

Amy Crawford has an extensive career in complex public policy and its intersection across government and communities.

Amy is the Chief Executive Officer at the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), representing 537 councils across the nation. Amy holds over 20 years’ experience in the Australian Public Service. She has a deep understanding of federal government policies and structures, with over 10 years’ service in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and has worked for the federal Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories. Amy has shaped a wide range of policies and programs including regional development, telecommunications, immigration, emergency management, social policy and pandemic preparation.

Amy is a Board Director of Austroads and represents ALGA on the Public Skills Australia Industry Advisory Group, and the Australia-New Zealand Emergency Management Committee. She is also a Board Director for the Canberra Youth Theatre which provides voice for Canberra’s youth through intelligent and challenging theatre.

Amy holds a Bachelor of Laws (honours) and Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) from the University of Queensland, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an alumnus of the Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership. Amy was appointed to the FRRR Board in January 2025.

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Kylie Hansen

Kylie brings leadership and management experience from across academic, corporate, not-for-profit, social enterprise and impact investment sectors, having deep dived into a myriad of specialisations and systems. Her six tertiary qualifications are equally as diverse and complimentary, covering commerce, politics, international development, community development, project management and law. Her breadth and depth of experience enables her to draw on a number of disciplines and innovative ways of working and thinking, and she is well recognised as consistently delivering work and services of a high quality.

Kylie uses her strong background in sustainability, governance and impact measurement to support collaborative initiatives across sectors oriented at improving social outcomes, and to support socially conscientious businesses to articulate their social impact. As founder and director at Impact Seed she has been instrumental in developing the impact measurement, evaluation, learning and ESG practice which advises numerous corporates, and is passionate about supporting First Nations empowerment particularly in the context of regional economic development.

Kylie is also a Director of the WA Social Enterprise Council, a member of the B Council (B Lab Australia and New Zealand), and a Governor of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

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Hon. John Anderson AC

The Hon. John Anderson AC is a sixth-generation farmer and grazier from NSW, who served in the Australian Parliament from 1989 to 2008.

He was a senior Cabinet minister in the government led by John Howard (1996 to 2005), including six years as Leader of the National Party and Deputy Prime Minister.

In the latter role, Mr Anderson played in important role in FRRR’s history, working closely with Baillieu Myer AC and others on a proposal to establish a philanthropic organisation to benefit rural Australia. The concept was discussed at the National Regional Summit in 1999 and FRRR was established shortly thereafter.

Mr Anderson currently hosts a regular podcast, where he is in conversation with thought-leaders from around the world, and is a regular media commentator.

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Regina Cruickshank

Partnerships Specialist (WA)

Regina supports FRRR as the WA Partnerships Specialist. With over two decades of experience in partnerships and marketing, she has a deep understanding of Western Australia’s social impact landscape. She brings a strong passion for leveraging purpose-built networks to create positive change.

Regina previously worked with Playgroup WA and founded a Health Promotion Charity dedicated to supporting Social Emotional wellbeing for underserved communities. She’s excited about the opportunity to connect with partners and explore ways to make a meaningful difference in WA.

She lives in Perth with her family and enjoys mindful moments of connection to Country, whether on horseback, on foot or underwater.

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Anna Palmer

People and Culture Manager

Based in Central Victoria, Anna is a senior Human Resources, Organisation Development and Industrial Relations professional, with significant private and public sector experience across every facet of people and culture leadership.

Her most recent roles have been with Don KR in Castlemaine and Mount Alexander Shire Council. She has also held senior HR roles with Victoria Legal Aid and the TAC among many others.

From Mildura originally, Anna has postgraduate qualifications in Change Management and a Masters in Organisation Dynamics.

Anna is currently completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts to balance her creative pursuits and work as an HR professional.

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Philippa Twaddle

Management Accountant

Carolyn joined the FRRR team in March 2017, and is responsible for providing executive support to the CEO, effective coordination of the FRRR office and general administrative support to the management team. A key responsibility is supporting the administration of FRRR’s Donation Account Services.

She has over fifteen years’ experience working in local government in the Tourism and Arts Sector, Civic and Event Management and Community engagement.

Carolyn has a Bachelor of Arts in Librarianship, majoring in psychology, and grew up on farming communities in Cohuna and Echuca and currently lives in Bendigo.