Black Dog Institute is asking people to unite in a time of lockdown and separation to put One Foot Forward by walking 20, 40, 60 or 100km during October to raise money for mental research.
One Foot Forward Manager at The Black Dog Institute, Tasman Cassim, said even though people couldn’t get together with friends, family or colleagues right now, by agreeing to the same challenge they can spur each other on, check in on progress and continue a sense of camaraderie.
“What better cause to do it for than mental health research?”
Last year, over $5M was raised by 30,000 Australians who joined in the fun and this year the team is hoping to top that amount.
One in five people in Australia experience symptoms of mental illness each year, which equates to more than five million people.
Less than half of those people seek professional help.
Research from the Black Dog Institute aims to develop support services available for everyone, everywhere around the country.
Participants are asked to take photos of their walks through the month and share them on their favourite social media platforms with the hashtag #onefootforward.
“This year the Black Dog Institute is focusing on the workforce and what we can do to check in on colleagues.
“Well, there is no better team building exercise than this challenge in 2021,” Cassim said.
Anyone interested in participating can sign up at https://www.onefootforward.org.au/
Source:
Media release, Sep 20
The Black Dog Institute