This episode of Mate Helping Mate found us in the village of Springdale, NSW. John was joined by “young pups”, agronomist Emma Robinson, and farmers Ben Kotzer and Michael Sinclair, along with a few locals who came along to listen in and be part of the chat. Folks took the mic to offer their personal perspectives about growing up, what wisdom we gain from our childhood and the positive changes we need to ensure the next generation is a more prepared to action these strategies addressing mental health and wellbeing - that you don't just pull your socks up, you need to talk to acknowledge the problem. Themes that came to the surface related to coping with intergenerational trauma and how the nature of farming has changed.

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A big shout out to John Harper for putting his heart and soul into this important work and getting us on the road. Thank you again to The Department of Primary Industries and their Farm Business Resilience Program who have gotten behind the podcast.

We are stoked to bring you this episode and look forward to hearing your thoughts!

****The advice in this podcast is of a general nature, and not an excuse for not seeing your GP or medical professional. There’s some handy links over at the Mate helping Mate website to learn more about resources you can access. If you need to talk to someone right now give Lifeline a call on 13 11 14.

Recovery can be a lonely journey, so let's do it together.

Round two of our panel-audience format of the Mate Helping Mate podcast! This time we hit the road to chat to the folks of the Tooma NSW community. Local folks, Sharon, Macca and Ian joined John on the couch up the front, along with an audience willing to share their lived experience. The stories and the emotions shared at Brigham House, highlight the resilience necessary for positive recovery.In this episode, there is an emphasis on the importance of community and mateship when recovering from a setback. The tragedy and trauma of the bushfires saw properties left bare, houses lost and wellbeing and livelihoods put to the test. We hear from those who continue to cope with trauma in the aftermath of these events; reflecting on the way a collective community resilience was bolstered through mateship and community connections.

A big shout out to John Harper for putting his heart and soul into this important work and getting us on the road. Thank you again to The Department of Primary Industries and their Farm Business Resilience Program who have gotten behind the podcast.

We are stoked to bring you this episode and look forward to hearing your thoughts!

****The advice in this podcast is of a general nature, and not an excuse for not seeing your GP or medical professional. There’s some handy links over at the Mate helping Mate website to learn more about resources you can access. If you need to talk to someone right now give Lifeline a call on 13 11 14.

Here it is! Mate Helping Mate Podcast first live recording of a panel-audience format! We had over 70 people join us at the Whitton Malt House to be a part of important conversations between our panelists Kim Whitham, Lexi and Jody Heath, Rob Houghton and moderator John Harper. 

This episode features the conversations that took place throughout the night, which were based on facing mental health stigma, how to engage in support networks as well as strategies that people use to get through the tough times. This interactive format meant that the audience was welcome to speak at any point where they wished to add their thoughts. The format ensured that the mental health and wellbeing knowledge and wisdom that exists at a local level is aired and shared. People were gracious in sharing their stories of grief, connecting with mates, and anecdotes that related to each topic. You will hear John, the local panelists and audience community members who had a go on the microphone, make valuable and positive contributions to wellbeing resilience.

A big shout out to John Harper for putting his heart and soul into this important work and getting us on the road. Thank you again to the Whitton Malt House for hosting us, to our GoFundMe sponsors, as well as Serafin Machinery, Centrecare, DNL Plumbing and The Department of Primary Industries and their Farm Business Resilience Program.

Serafin Machinery are offering a 5% discount on selected products to any MHM listeners using the code ‘SMExtra5’ before October 27th 2023. Visit their website at www.serafinmachinery.com.au. 

We are stoked to bring you this episode and look forward to hearing your thoughts!

****The advice in this podcast is of a general nature, and not an excuse for not seeing your GP or medical professional. There’s some handy links over at the Mate helping Mate website to learn more about resources you can access. If you need to talk to someone right now give Lifeline a call on 13 11 14.