HVO GRANT HELPS TRAIN MORE SINGLETON MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AIDERS

More Singleton residents have become mental health first aiders thanks to funding through Hunter Valley Operations’ (HVO) community grants program.

Novaskill Hunter Valley has been able to provide 18 free places for its Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses this year with its HVO Round 1 2023 community grant.

Novaskill operations manager Kelly Cooper said, by becoming a Mental Health First Aider, people are better able to support friends, family and colleagues through difficult times.

“MHFA training gives people practical skills to be able to support someone with a mental health problem, or worsening of a mental health problem,” Ms Cooper said. 

“Those skills include being able to recognise common mental health problems in others, knowing how to respond and safely provide initial help, as well as knowing how to and where to seek appropriate, professional help,” she said. 

About 1 in 5 Australian adults experience a common mental illness each year. 

Ms Cooper said the HVO funded free places have been taken up by Singleton community members including volunteers at the Singleton Neighbourhood Centre, as well as people working in local disability support organisations, sporting organisations and local high schools. 

Courses have been held in June and August, with another course coming up on October 26 and 27. The June course was the first time Novaskill Hunter Valley has offered MHFA locally. The Singleton based not for profit training provider is the only locally based training provider to offer MHFA training.

“We are very appreciative of HVO’s support which has helped us to get the training to people who will really benefit from it but may not have had the capacity to fund a place.”

“Our initial goal is to train 100 local people. If those people share their skills with or help five people, then 500 people benefit.”

“The feedback from participants about the value and benefits of the training to date has been fantastic.”

“Participants have said they will use the tools we share in the course daily in their work and community roles and with family and friends.”

“One participant said ‘I have already put the knowledge gained into action over the last few days during work. I feel very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to attend and complete my mental health first aid thanks to Hunter Valley Operations.’”

While free funded places have been allocated, Ms Cooper said there were limited places remaining in the course on October 26 and 27.  All MHFA courses are run over two consecutive days and cost just $312 per person. Discounts may be eligible for group bookings. Contact Novaskill Hunter Valley at 6575 3700 or email HunterValley@novaskill.edu.au for more information and to register your interest.

Applications are now open for HVO’s second round of community grants for 2023. 

HVO environment and community manager Andrew Speechly said the mine’s community grants are awarded twice a year to smaller scale projects of not for profit organisations working in the Muswellbrook, Singleton, Cessnock, Maitland or Upper Hunter local government areas

“We look to fund projects that make our community stronger, improve the skills or lives of local people or protect and enhance the environment,” Mr Speechly said. 

“Funding mental health training helps to build capacity to make our community more resilient,” he said.

More than 90 projects have received more than $380,000 in HVO community grant funding since 2018. This is in addition to its other charity partnerships, sponsorships and workplace giving programs.
To find out more or to apply for a HVO community grant visit www.hvo.com.au/community or email EnvironmentandCommunity@hvo.com.au. Applications close September 30.