Suicide Awareness Event – Whitsunday Ballers

Suicide Awareness Event – Whitsunday Ballers, all proceeds from the event will be donated to “Real Mates Talk”. Real Mates Talk will also be providing information on Mental Health awareness and where to go to seek support.

This will be a family-friendly actioned packed day where members of the community can come together and raise awareness on suicide.

**Whitsunday Ballers & Real Mates Talk**

Around three-quarters of the people who die by suicide in the Whitsunday, Isaac and Mackay region are men. These men are aged from teenagers to the elderly – they are our brothers, sons, husbands, workmates, friends and neighbours.

The Real Mates Talk men’s campaign intends to prevent suicide attempts and deaths of men in our community and support them to connect with others and live well.

Real Mates Talk aims to do this by:

• Encouraging men in their community to ask “What’s up mate?”
• Encouraging men (and women) to ask for help
• Supporting them to have places to go to connect with others

Research tells us that to support men we need to meet men where they are, build social connections between men and help men help themselves. So we can do this, the Real Mates Talk team needs help from men across the community.

We will:

• Work with a team of Ambassadors across the Whitsunday, Isaac and Mackay region who will share information about how to ask for help and where to get it.
• These men will also act as role models for breaking down stigma, raising community awareness and making sure men know what supports are available to them.
• Conduct a survey to gather baseline data of if/how people in our community access help for mental health and suicidal concerns.
• Develop and share resources about how to stay physically and mentally well, as well as how to respond to a crisis.
• Support Ambassadors to make presentations at community events and in workplaces, in partnership with other organisations.
• Support sporting clubs and other community groups to know how to identify and respond to concerns

Real Mates Talk is an initiative of the Suicide Prevention Community Action Planning group. This is administered and delivered by selectability Limited on behalf of Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) and funded by the Australian Government Department of Health.

Our:

Website: https://realmatestalk.com.au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Real-Mates-Talk-113305290491755/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realmatestalk/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVMHpJpoxI3cRLFt20xa2_Q

This event will be Weather permitting, in the case of bad weather, the event will be rescheduled.

Please note- If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for the event please contact :

Email: whitsundayballers@outlook.com

Not for profit community group, Shannon Taylor event organiser Phone: 0481709904

*** Event Details***

Ages 10+ are permitted on the field.
Ages 10 -15 must be accompanied by an adult at the event.

Cost:

• Game fee -gold coin donation.
• $15.00 hire blasters, limited available
• $5.00 all-day gels
• You can bring your own blaster and gels.
• Gold coin donation sausage sizzle lunch.
• Jumping castle
• Face painting
• Gel blaster raffle
• Cash only as there is no EFTPOS available.
• Game start time 10:am – 16:00

Please note:

We will not be lending batteries, chargers, safety specs or any other of our personal equipment due to the number of items that have gone missing.

A small Gel Blasters Direct stall will be set up for purchases.

What to bring with you

• Blaster/s, gear/gells/batteries etc..
• Bring your own battery charger
• Safety glasses
• Long pants/shirt recommended, closed in shoes and safety glasses are a MUST, no persons are permitted on the playing field without safety glasses.
• Enough water to drink and snacks,
• Softdrink will be available to purchase for $1.50.
• Sunscreen/hat
• Aeroguard
• Chair/s