Hat Wearing for World Mental Health Day
October 11th was World Mental Health Day. The club raised funds by wearing hats at this weeks Rotary meeting and distributing collection boxes around town last week to raise awareness and funds for Australian Rotary Health Hat Day. Businesses were asked to don hats for the day. Over $300 was raised. Since 1985 Australian Rotary Health has allocated more than $33 million to health initiatives and scholarships.
The Australian Rotary Health Foundation was established in 1981 in Victoria by Rotary Club of Mornington Peninsula initially to raise funds for research into cot deaths. Between 1985 and 1987 cot deaths were reduced in Vic from 140 to 20. Since then the Foundation has targeted and raised funds for a variety of health issues from Environmental Health problems of the Aged to Adolescent and Family Health.The foundation provides scholarships for indigenous health, rural medical and nursing training and placements.
In 2000 a decision was made to concentrate on raising awareness of Mental Health including research. This support continues with 1 in 5 Australians experiencing a mental health issue in any year.
Funding opportunities and scholarships are advertised in the Australian Medical Journal and universities are notified.