Scene from last year’s Sanity Fair
The Southside Mental Health Collaborative announces its annual Sanity Fair will this year be held at Musgrave Park on Saturday October 10, from 10am to 3pm and continue the events tradition of providing a forum to engage the local community in a range of fun activities and entertainment while promoting inclusion, reducing stigma and providing a positive message of hope.
The Southside Mental Health Collaborative is a partnership between community and government organisations working together to improve the mental health and well being of the local community in Brisbane’s Southside. Each year in support of the nationally recognised initiative Mental Health Week the collaborative commits to hosting a free community event open to the general public. Strongly driven, developed and run by people who have an experienced mental illness this event is an example of the collaborative working together to support wellness, raise awareness and address stigma around mental health in the community and is evidence of the capacity and potential of people to overcome, thrive and inspire others.
The theme for this year’s Sanity Fair is ‘Stronger Together’ in recognition of the possibilities that we can achieve towards collective wellbeing through strong community ties. Together, we can all contribute to providing greater opportunities for people experiencing distress and creating a healthier, stronger community.
The event will showcase live music, including performances from Leah Cotterell, June Low and The Counterfeit Umbrellas. There will also be pony rides, animal farm, face painting, fun activities, speakers, information stalls on wellbeing and mental health and workshops as well as the annual tug of war. With over 1500 people expected to attend the event the collaboration hopes to raise mental health awareness and have a positive impact within the Brisbane’s Southside, particularly with the prevalence of mental health concerns in the community. The theme ‘Stronger together’ also aims to reduce the isolation from community often surrounding mental health concerns by encouraging all community members to come together to reduce stigma and create a stronger community for the future.
The Southside Mental Health Collaborative hopes that the community and organisations will continue to support this free event so that together we can build strong, resilient and caring communities who will reach out with a helping hand or an ear to listen in times of need. The event planning committee is currently sourcing the support of local businesses or other community groups who would like to be involved with the day. To find out more or to add your support, contact Helena Roennfeldt on 0403772040.
Latest Comments