YOU are not alone.
Those four words ignite a powerful message, which will be delivered to the community next month when shearers from across Australia and the world unite for the Blades of Glencoe Shearathon.
The Glencoe Woolshed National Trust will host the shearathon on March 10 to raise awareness and funds for beyondblue – an organisation dedicated to addressing issues associated with depression, suicide, anxiety disorders and other related mental disorders.
Organised by the Blade Shearing Historic Foundation, the event will relive the days of old fashioned blade shearing with continuous demonstrations and a speed shearing competition, as around 60 female and male shearers pick up their blades in a bid to cut the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide.
Among those shearers are some of the biggest names in the industry including one-armed shearer Josh Talbot and national television star, eight-year-old Charlie Dunn, who appeared on Little Big Shots and the ABC.
Senior shearer and foundation committee member Janine Midgley said the event encouraged people to come together to share the same sort of passion.
“A lot of the girls and the boys have all been through very isolated and have had quite traumatic pasts- I can speak for that myself, which is where it really comes from in my mind and heart,” she said.
“The Blades of Glencoe is about people not feeling like they are on their own anymore.
“We never really want anyone to think or feel like they are on their own and like they have not got people to support them.
“They can actually speak up and not be afraid of speaking up.”
As well as raising mental health and suicide awareness, Ms Midgley hoped the event would put the shearing industry in the spotlight.
“The conditions have always been pretty bad,” she said.
“They have not been updated for a long time and the girls still do not have toilets out there.
“There are lots of little things that hopefully will snowball affect from this event.
“It is really, really taking off – we have girls and guys coming from overseas.”
As well as blade shearing demonstrations, the event will include a Tales of the Tailgate celebration where people will share their personal battles with mental health.
“The Tales of the Tailgates is all about people sharing their stories,” Ms Midgley said.
“Some people have been in touch with me nearly eight months ago and asked if they could come and speak.
“We have some really special people including a drought stricken farmer and a shearing couple from Broken Hill who lost their son to suicide.
“There has been a lot of people opening up to us in the lead-up to the event and that is what it is all about – raising awareness more than anything.
“We all really have the same end result in mind when it comes to the event- it’s not about the money.”
Ms Midgley said organising the event had been therapeutic with support starting to swell.
“In a way it has helped me, I know that it has helped a lot of the other girls and the other guys – they are just so excited about coming,” she said.
“Mental health touches everyone, everyone is touched by mental health in some way.
“Even the entertainment for the day have been affected by it and although it will be really uplifting music they have all had pretty personal journeys as well.
“Some of them have raised their own money to drive nine hours over and bring their own gear.
“They are all coming for nothing, we are not paying them anything.
“I just want to make mention of Richie Foster he has been travelling all around the country meeting with the girls, making everyone’s blades special for them, making pouches and just going above and beyond.
The foundation also thanked Member for Mackillop Nick McBride who donated 1000 sheep to be shorn on the day, as well as Petticoat Lane and National Trust for providing a location for a recent shearing demonstration in the Penola community.
The Blades of Glencoe is expected to attract a crowd of 4000 people, with all-day live music, food, beverages and a marquee.
There will be access for the disabled and car parks available.
The event runs from 7.30am to 5.30pm.
Tickets are available online via the Blades of Glencoe Shearathon 2019 on Eventbrite or on the day.
