Good Yarn, a mental health literacy program for rural and urban workplaces, enables people to discuss mental health.
The program has been tested around Queenstown Lakes since May 2021 and is attended by more than 250 locals from various sectors.
GoodYarn is designed as a practical starting point for companies and organizations that want to work on mental health and well-being.
Pilots for the Good Yarn Community Program, which ended this week in Wanaka, were facilitated by the Southern Well-Being Trust, which created the program. However, the success of the workshop was formed to inspire a new trust, the Headlight Trust, to improve the program and enable extensibility for smaller groups.
The headlight team will continue to hold Good Yarn workshops while building organizational structure and governance.
Anna Dorsey, co-founder of the Southern Wellbeing Trust, has shifted to a new role as Headlight Chief Executive Officer, leading its operations staff and community-based facilitators.
Ms. Dorsey said her team enjoys the challenge of developing Good Yarn into a sustainable mental health education program that can benefit other towns and communities.
“The impact of Covid-19 on mental health is severe and will continue for some time, but we are directly seeing the specific benefits of the Good Yarn community, which has a spillover effect on mental health education throughout the community. I want to share it more widely. “
Of the participants in the workshop, 97% said they had acquired knowledge of mental health and well-being.
“This program is all about prevention, early intervention and health maintenance. You can’t think of better results than New Zealanders who have the skills and confidence to shed light on mental health and help themselves and others. Around them who are struggling. “
Financing strategies to support and secure funding for sustainable businesses were a priority.
Fellow co-founder Dr. Tim Rigg will remain Director of the Southern Wellbeing Trust.