Art of the Minds founder named Local Legend

MENTAL health educator and advocate Jules Haddock has been named among this year’s recipients of the Surf Coast Shire Local Legends award.

Ms Haddock is the founder of not-for-profit organisation Art of the Minds which hosts an annual festival of events in October with the aim of allowing people with lived experience of mental illness to creatively share their stories.

Ms Haddock also conducts laughing yoga sessions, assists on a weekly basis at rehabilitation centre Foundation 61, and operates her own small business, The Anxious Bird, which provides tailored training courses and presentations about mental health.

“Getting awards is always a bit humbling. I’m very grateful,” she said.

“I think that often when you get an award, it’s because of all the good team members that are behind you helping.

“We’d really like the community to continue to embrace the festival, particularly with the…suicide rates that have been quite high on the Surf Coast.

“We are about educating the community to say it’s okay not to be okay, and there’s things that you can do, and people you can connect with.”

Now in its fourth year, the shire-run Local Legends initiative recognises and celebrates people and groups whose contributions to the local community and environment help it to thrive.

Recipients are nominated by community members and assessed by a panel of council officers for the positive impacts they have made across categories that include helping others and strengthening the community and celebrating diversity.

“Our Local Legends awards recognise and celebrate people who are making a positive difference in our community,” mayor Liz Pattison said.

“The recipients are unsung heroes who inspire others with their contributions and achievements, devoting time and energy for greater good and the benefit of others.

“We congratulate them and thank them for their contributions to making our shire such a special place to be.”

Ms Haddock said, to her, the real unsung heroes were those who wake up every morning and courageously battle mental illness.

“That’s the thing about unsung heroes, they’re the people who are really battling, with often very clinical illnesses and yet get through it. It’s quite amazing.

“I kind of think I’m just a conduit to allow these people to share their stories.

“They’re very heroic and very hope-filled stories for many.”

This year, all those nominated for the award have received Local Legend status alongside Ms Haddock. They are:

• Matt Benson, a volunteer with therapeutic surfing charity Ocean Mind
• Sue Saw, a volunteer at Anglesea Kindergarten
• Claire Osborn, the founder of Surf Coast Little Athletics
• Local athlete William Curwood
• Hutch Hussein, a reconciliation advocate, and
• Youth volunteers at Torquay Community House

This year’s Local Legends will be formally acknowledged next month during National Volunteer Week.

To learn more about each of the award recipients, head to surfcoast.vic.gov.au/LocalLegends

For more on Art of the Minds, visit artoftheminds.org.au