Beyond Blue Chair and Werribee Football Club patron, Julia Gillard will be watching on as Werribee and the Box Hill Hawks compete on Saturday, 10 August for the tenth annual VFL Beyond Blue Cup and spread awareness of mental health “one-percenters”.
The match will highlight the importance of starting conversations about mental health and how people can take daily steps to strengthen their mental wellbeing.
“One-percenters” are those small acts on the field not usually counted in the match statistics, but which can add up to influence a game’s outcome.
In day-to-day life, “one-percenters” such as spending time with friends, staying active, getting enough sleep, and knowing the signs and symptoms of mental health issues can make a big difference to a person’s mental health and wellbeing.
Beyond Blue Chair Julia Gillard, AC, will be at the match to present the Cup to the winning team.
“Beyond Blue has long recognised the importance of working with grass-roots sporting clubs to help change community attitudes,” Ms Gillard said.
“Like those one-percenters in football, simply talking about mental health can make a difference. Making mental health a part of everyday conversations helps eliminate stigma and encourages support-seeking.
“Beyond Blue is delighted to have the continuing support of the Werribee Tigers and Box Hill Hawks for the tenth time, continuing the conversation about mental health and breaking down the stigma.”
More than three million people in Australia experience depression and anxiety but only 46 per cent of those people access the help they need.
Box Hill Hawks General Manager – VFL & VFLW Football Daniel Napoli said: “We’re proud to continue supporting the important work of Beyond Blue through the VFL Beyond Blue Cup. It’s important that everyone in the community has their own one-percenters which they can use to strengthen their mental health every day.”
Werribee CEO Mark Penaluna said: “The Werribee Football Club is thrilled to again be taking the field in support of Beyond Blue. We’re looking forward to a great game against the Box Hill Hawks and more importantly, helping break down the stigma around talking about mental health.”
The game starts at 2pm at the Werribee Football Club, Avalon Airport Oval ,220 Watton Street, Werribee. Beyond Blue volunteers will be handing out information on the benefits of talking about mental health.
If you or someone you care about is struggling, you can talk to mental health professionals 24/7 via the Beyond Blue Support Service on 1300 22 4636, via web chat from 3pm to midnight (AEST) every night at www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support or via email.
