Tyler Redway
StandBy Support After Suicide will host keynote speaker Nic Newling from The Champions in Mount Gambier.
StandBy coordinator Tracey Wanganeen said Mr Newling was a well-versed speaker in his own mental health issues and how he has managed them.
Ms Wanganeen added that the event was being funded by another mental health service known as Ski for Life.
“He often goes into schools but we have got him coming here for a public session hoping to gain interest for the community to bring him back into schools,” Ms Wanganeen said.
“Ski for Life is providing the funds, it’s actually their project, while StandBy is project managing that.”
She said Ski for Life involved an event which took place from Murray Bridge to Berri, with some funds going towards establishing this latest event.
“Ski for Life is an event where they raise funds and awareness for our mental health, suicide prevention and wellbeing,” Ms Wanganeen said.
“They ski from Murray Bridge to Berri on the long weekend of March every year and it’s the funds we have gotten from that event where we have been able to bring Nic here.”
Ms Wanganeen said she found Mr Newling’s story to be very interesting, due to how he spoke from lived experience and the experiences he has had going forward.
She added that Mr Newling was like “a rockstar” in some instances while speaking at schools, while students would gather around him to take a group photo after the talk.
“When I’ve seen him speak in the school environment, the students just love him,” she said.
“The good thing about the way he engages with young people is that some of them might want to share their own story and he usually has help seeking services like StandBy and headspace so he can make those warm referrals.”
Ms Wanganeen said she was excited to be able to bring Mr Newling to her hometown and encouraged people to take advantage of these opportunities whenever they came to the community.
“We’re really excited to bring him here because he does speak internationally, he’s worked with the Black Dog Institute and he just has a world of experience,” she said.
“If people are still wanting to go along, I would be getting in quick.”
The event will be held on July 26 at the Mount Gambier UniSA campus.
