RIVERLAND communities may have seen some positive messages about mental health and wellbeing pop up in their social media feeds over the past two months thanks to the efforts of a group of people dubbed 'Vocal Locals'.
The Vocal Locals campaign, an initiative of the ifarmwell team from the Department of Rural Health at the University of South Australia and local farmer John Gladigau, saw 10 prominent community members - most of whom were farmers - use social media to share information they had learnt from the free ifarmwell.com.au modules and their personal coaching sessions with the broader community.
For its efforts in raising awareness of mental health and wellbeing, the initiative - which wrapped up last week - earned itself a nomination in SA's Community Achievement Awards.
ifarmwell founder Dr Kate Gunn said the Vocal Locals campaign had great engagement on both social media and in the real-world community.
"In just a few short months we have managed to grow our Vocal Locals following on Facebook to 860 people, with Vocal Locals' posts getting 4700 reactions and reaching more than 53,000 users," she said.
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"We are tremendously proud of that. On post reactions alone, that is 4700 times we have made people stop and think about what they can do for their wellbeing.
"The initiative has equipped our 10 Vocal Locals with more information about mental health, wellbeing and strategies that can improve it and helped them to work towards their own wellbeing goals.
"Additionally, it has enabled us to share practical, evidence-based strategies to help community members improve their wellbeing, increase their understanding of the importance of doing so and, most importantly, it has normalised conversations about mental health and wellbeing."
Dr Gunn said the Vocal Locals had been innovative in getting their messages out into the community beyond social media, including through interviews on radio and print media, through talks in schools, appearing on podcasts, in ram sale catalogues and even through messages on eggs.
"That is in addition to the one on one conversations had by the Vocal Locals with other members of the community, as well as the 2500 households around Loxton which received information on supporting someone who is struggling or suicidal via the neighbourhood watch letter box drop," Dr Gunn said.
[Vocal Locals] have pushed boundaries, made people think more about their own wellbeing and shifted social norms around what is considered acceptable to talk about.
- JOHN GLADIGAU
Vocal Locals project coordinator and local broadacre farmer John Gladigau said the initiative challenged the participants, but it had made a positive impact on the community.
"We congratulate the Vocal Locals for taking on this brave role and executing it so well," he said.
"They have pushed boundaries, made people think more about their own wellbeing and shifted social norms around what is considered acceptable to talk about, which is not for the faint-hearted.
"Their hard work will now carry through into the 2022 Kick Off Ya Boots production in September, which celebrates what it means to live and work in a rural community and will keep conversations rolling about the importance of investing in your own wellbeing."
The project is supported through the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR), through funding from the federal government's Future Drought Fund.
The Vocal Locals were:
- Mark DeCaux, almond grower and apiarist, Loxton
- Stephen May, grain grower, Loxton
- Chloe Oldman, interior design student, Loxton
- Travis Flight, mixed farmer, Loxton
- Tim Paschke, mixed farmer, Waikerie
- Leanne Kaesler, mixed farmer, Loxton
- Brenton Kroehn, mixed farmer, Waikerie
- Darren Letton, poultry farmer, Pike River
- Peri McIntosh, mixed farmer, Loxton
- Sam Hentschke, transport operator, Loxton
