Unexpected windfall from football match

headspace Mount Gambier planning how to spend $50,000 donation for mental healt

Last month’s headspace Match for Mental Health was a resounding success. Aimed at being a conversation starter surrounding mental health, it achieved its goal well before the AFL stars and local talent took to the McDonald Park oval for the game and an added bonus has been the incredible fundraising effort.

headspace community liaison worker Nick McInerney continues to be amazed by how one community event could achieve so much – not withstanding what has turned out to be a more than $50,000 injection into local mental health services and projects.

“The main objective for the event was to spread awareness and create conversations which I believe was achieved before the event had even started as there was a buzz of anticipation around the community and the number of attendees who were there reinforced that,” Mr McInerney said. “The fundraising was a bonus for us, and the amount certainly exceeded our expectations.”

Given fundraising was not a priority of the event, no formal discussions around what to do with any proceeds were ever held prior to the match but headspace will now focus on where to direct the impressive fundraising tally.

“We know that the community is interested in how this money will be used and we take that very seriously and we will endeavour to put it into something important that to promote the wellbeing of young people in the Limestone Coast,” Mr McInerney said.

The $50,000-plus windfall is just another sign that shining a light on mental health in the community does produce positive results.

“The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive about the whole event and we are completely blown away by the amount of support through organising, sponsorship, donations, volunteering and attendance at the event and we cannot thank everyone enough for their involvement,” Mr McInerney said.

“We have heard so many people making comments about how great the event was, not only the football match itself, but the speeches and the hosting of the event by the East Gambier Football Club.”

So soon after the successful headspace Match for Mental Health, the hard working organising committee is taking a breath as well as analysing the inaugural event and while there are no immediate plans for a repeat performance – the blueprint is there.

“I know the committee who put in a lot of hard work are letting the dust settle a bit and unwinding after a pretty busy six months in the lead up to the event,” Mr McInerney said. “I do believe that the hard work of the organising committee has developed a great template for the event to be revisited in the future and hopefully this can be replicated one day.”

HEADSPACE WINDFALL: Plenty for organisers to smile about with the final fundriaing tally handed over to headspace from the Match for Mental Health