Federal funding expands Read the Play

A YOUTH mental health program will now reach more young sportspeople through a grant from the federal government.

Corangamite Liberal federal member Sarah Henderson visited Ellimatta Reserve in Anglesea last week to announce the $115,817 to expand Read the Play’s successful program to cover not only 14-16 year olds but also 16-18 year olds.

Established in Geelong in 2007, Read the Play works with football and netball clubs across the region to increase awareness among young people about mental health.

“I am so pleased that Read the Play will be able to use this funding to further its successful, engaging program to reach more of our young people,” Ms Henderson said.

“The program started with the concept that young people could talk about mental health and improve their mental health literacy, with their peers, while kicking around a football, or catching a netball.

“Young people engage with a conversation about mental health in this context, because it is delivered in a fun and engaging way, alongside their peers and in their home clubs.”

Read the Play manager Michael Parker said the program heard a lot of stories from parents about how it had helped their children.

“I had a parent come up to me and say her daughter did Read the Play at a session at Lara Football Club.

The daughter came home and said ‘I think I just need to talk to someone. I’m not like really struggling but they talked about some of the signs and I think I’ve got a couple of those’.

“She took her daughter to the doctor and she got referred to a psychologist – she only went to four or five sessions and was then back on the right track.

“The mother said: ‘If Read the Play wasn’t there then maybe she wouldn’t have got that support, which then could have turned into a bigger issue down the line’.”

Read the Play received this grant under the Mutual Understanding, Support, Tolerance, Engagement and Respect (MUSTER) Initiative as part of the Strong and Resilient Communities Program.