In Melbourne, Raquel is organising a vigil in honour of her best friend, lost to mental ill-health last year. In Sydney, Australian of the Year, Prof. Pat McGorry is attending a vigil to speak about services that he knows could help hundreds of thousands of Australians if only they were properly funded.
And in your community too, a GetUp member has organised a local mental health vigil. They've bought the candles, organised speakers and invited local media. Now they're counting on you to show up - will you be there?
All across the country Tuesday week (August 10) GetUp members will gather for over 50 candle light vigils. Our vigils will be simple, dignified and powerful. Our message will be held in our hands--a candle lit for family and friends who have suffered; a flickering light held high for each life we can save if we make a real investment in mental health services.
If we capture the media's attention at the peak of the election, we can put real pressure on the major parties to increase their promised funding for mental health, but only if GetUp members around the country come together to light up the night.Click here and enter your postcode to find an event nearby:
www.getup.org.au/campaign/vigils
Is this worth leaving the house for? You bet it is.
A GetUp mental health vigil in Melbourne last week made national news on Radio National, The Age and The Australian. And here's what Lisa, a GetUp member from Melbourne, had to say about the event:
"I don't usually go in for vigils or actions..."
"But I've seen a friend let down by the mental health system, so I gave it a go.... and it was such a powerful experience! When i saw photos of the event in the local newspaper the next day, it was a great feeling to know I was part of it."
This is a moment for us to stand together, shoulder to shoulder, lighting up the night. Click here to find an event in your community:
www.getup.org.au/campaign/vigils
We started this mental health campaign 4 months ago because at a leaders' debate about healthcare, neither leader mentioned mental health once - and neither Labor, the Liberals nor the Greens had a policy for fixing the mental health crisis. Together, we've created one of the largest petitions in GetUp's history; our TV ads featuring Prof. Patrick McGorry are still on air in marginal seats; and now all three major parties have mental health policies that will result in more services for those in need. It's working.
Just last week, Labor announced a new mental health policy. It's a good start, but deals only with suicide prevention and falls well short of the kind of funding and reform our mental health system needs -- and well short of commitments by the Greens and the Coalition. A full mental health commitment must involve rolling out more HeadSpace youth centres across Australia, to properly funding the EPPIC psychosis intervention program, and to supporting work and employment initiatives for Australians recovering from mental illness.
There's still time for Labor to announce such a policy before polling day. But it won't happen without pressure from us. I hope you'll join GetUp members in your area to show support for better mental health services, and to hear some incredible personal stories from Australians who will tell you why this campaign is so important.
With hope,
The GetUp team
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