Members of Rotary Club Maroubra, welcomed Ben Higgs and Shaun Hockly from The Rise Foundation to talk about their work with Mental Health and Suicide prevention.
Ben had been significantly impacted with the loss of several friends to suicide in 2013, and felt compelled to find a way to help his mates, his community and his own mental wellbeing. He created Rise Foundation, a Mental Health Education and resilience organisation built on lived experience and evidence based techniques and tools.
He soon partnered with Shaun who for 10 years also ran Reborn Fitness and Wellbeing and has helped thousands of people change their lives in health and fitness. Shaun had managed to overcome his own battle with mental health issues through physical fitness.
Together they founded the Mental Health Response Course (MRC). Initially designed to help those working in the fitness industry be able to recognise someone experiencing mental health issues.
The popularity of the course has gone from strength to strength and today MRC is Accredited through Fitness Australia and Exercise and Sports Science. The Course is for Teachers, Students, PTs, Sports Mangers & Coaches, Massage Therapists, Physios, anyone working with Reporting Staff.
They are also now working in collaboration with UNSW research department sharing data they have collected over the years on their successful results of Physical Health supporting Mental Health programs.
This is one the many ways they are giving back to the community at large as they continue to grow The Rise Foundation and champion mental health through physical health.
The Rotary Club of Maroubra would like to thank Ben & Shaun for visiting our Club and for sharing their vision and their personal stories on mental health.
We would also like to thank Loradana Fyffe from Sydney Community Foundation, for the introduction to the Rise Foundation.