R4MH is a committee of members from 4 Rotary Clubs on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. These clubs, Rotary Club of Cooroy, Eumundi, Noosa, and Noosa Daybreak combined their forces to bring the message of Mental Health to the communities where we live.

As Rotarians, we know we are not experts in this field but we can help maintain awareness of this subject and point those affected in the right direction where they can get help. Having good mental health is important because it can help us to be more resilient, feel good and function well, have more positive relationships with those around us and deal with difficult times now and in the future.

Although the original focus was on breaking the silence of PTSD in non military members of our communities, our focus quickly morphed into some of the root causes of PTSD. Namely, Suicide and more recently the whole issue of Domestic and Family Violence. The closer we look the more we learn. Police departments all over the country report that by far the vast majority of their time is spent in dealing with Domestic Violence. Disfunctional families foster school Bullying, and many other anti-social behaviours.

So What are we Doing?

Inspired by the Rotary Club of Ballina on Richmond we have started by exhorting our members to wear a special ‘Say No to Domestic and Family Violence’ T shirt EVERY FRIDAY. It doesn’t matter what you are doing, just wear the shirt EVERY Friday. Visit local businesses to promote the idea of their staff wearing these shirts every Friday. Shirts available - please contact our secretary - secretary@cooroyrotary.org.au 

What else?

R4MH is sponsoring the training of specialist nurses and school chaplains to deliver Love Bites programmes in our local schools. Love Bites and Love Bites Junior are extremely successful Respectful Relationships Education Programs for young people aged 11-17 years.

Love Bites, developed in 2004 in response to community concerns about unhealthy relationships within high school environments, is based on best practice standards for education programs as recommended by the Federal Government funded Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearing House and other leading academics in the area of violence against women & young people.

Inspired by the Rotary Club of Ballina on Richmond we have started by exhorting our members to wear a special ‘Say No to Domestic and Family Violence’ T shirt EVERY FRIDAY. It doesn’t matter what you are doing, just wear the shirt EVERY Friday. Visit local businesses to promote the idea of their staff wearing these shirts every Friday. Shirts available - please contact our secretary - secretary@cooroyrotary.org.au 

To draw attention to Mental Health, R4MH through our clubs sponsored a Classic Car Club Convoy through Noosaville, Tewantin, Cooroy and Eumundi towns in late November, 2023, led by Queensland Police with ‘Say No” flags flying. Noosa Council were so supportive they gave their staff time off from their desks to gather on the footpath to cheer us on. A great time was had by all. Brochures were distributed and many heads turned followed by questions.

R4MH hosted an information event in Cooroy: - ADDRESSING LOCAL DOMESTIC AND FAMILY VIOLENCE

Keynote speaker, Ryan Hanlon, Senior Sergeant Noosa Police and Officer in Charge at Cooroy, Senior Sergeant Brian McKenzie, and Sergeant Maria O’Brien from the specialist DV unit in Maroochydore outlined the scale of our local problem, the tools Police and community members may use to assist addressing this serious issue across our part of the Sunshine Coast.

We can only make a difference if we work as a team to alert the many who need to be alerted to this community problem all around us. Mental Health, a lifetime’s work

Organisations that may offer support

Rotarians 4 Mental Health is a combined project of the Cooroy, Eumundi, Noosa and Noosa Daybreak Rotary Clubs driven initiative. Rotarians 4 Mental Health, is aimed at encouraging people touched by domestic violence and mental health issues to reach out, speak up and seek assistance.