Week seeks to support veterans’ mental health

THIS year local offerings for Veterans’ Health Week will see a range of events aiming to promote the health and wellbeing of returned service men and women.

The week is set to run from Monday 9 October to Sunday 15 October and the 2023 theme is ‘mental wellness matters’.

“It’s about fostering a sense of community within veterans to give them some opportunities to connect and share their experience,” said Vicki Fox, health and wellbeing coordinator at Bendigo RSL Sub Branch.

“Veterans’ Health Week has been running for over 10 years and each year it gains a bit more momentum.”

As part of the week, members of the Bendigo RSL Sub Branch are hosting a series of free events for veterans and their families.

They include a planning ahead for bereavement session, mental health first aid course, lawn bowls, a free movie night, and yoga in the park.

“This year is about mental health and it’s about raising awareness of the mental health challenges which are faced by members of the veteran community,” said Ms Fox.

“We’re encouraging people who are interested in veterans’ health to come along and attend one of our events.”

Ms Fox said it is important the Bendigo RSL Sub Branch supports the initiative so the organisation can connect with veterans and their families.

“The Bendigo RSL has a very big commitment to the welfare of the ex-serving community and the current serving community,” she said.

“There are a lot of veterans and veteran families who we don’t cross over with, so we want to establish some sort of engagement with them to see if there are ways which we can assist them.”

It is also hoped the week will raise awareness in the community about the importance of supporting Australia’s military veterans.

“For the wider community it raises awareness for the importance of our veterans’ health and that they are in our community,” said Ms Fox.

“It’s important to provide support and we want veterans to feel that they are valued and are important.”

The full events calendar can be found on the Department of Veteran Affairs website.

To RSVP or find out more information about the local sessions, contact Ms Fox on 5443 7097 or via email at [email protected].