Survival Day with headspace Townsville

Townsville
30 Mar 2023

On Thursday the 26th of January, our Youth and Community Engagement (YCE) Team attended a Survival Day event hosted by local First Nations arts and cultural organisation Big Eye Theatre.

Community Engagement Coordinator, Dylan Howells and Clinical Manager Pim Crothers took part in the ‘Walk for Solidarity’ which proceeded after a stirring speech from Big Eye Theatre’s Manager Aunty Ros Sailor about the significance of this day for First Nations people.

We then joined hundreds of people to walk along Townsville’s beautiful beachfront at The Strand and up to the main event area where we then ran the headspace Townsville info and resources stall whilst bands and performers entertained the crowds on the main stage. Social Inclusion Coordinator Kassie Brown joined us later at the stall and Dylan ran a drumming activity as part of the event’s schedule.

It was a fantastic day all round and the YCE team engaged with lots of people, handing out resources and answering questions about our service. It was also an excellent opportunity for our team to network with other organisations to build closer ties in the community and collaborate with them in the future.

Survival Day may also be known as Day of Mourning, Invasion Day or Australia Day. We acknowledge that for many, the 26th of January is a reminder of the hurt caused by colonisation, and the impact our First Nations people have experienced ever since.

headspace Townsville acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live and work, and of the many different nations across the wider regions from which we all come. We pay our respects to the Elders, past, present, and emerging as the holders of the memories, the traditions, the culture, and the spiritual well-being of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across the nation. We acknowledge any Sorry Business that may be affecting the communities as a whole. In the spirit of reconciliation, partnership, and mutual respect, we will continue to work together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to shape our community mental health services to respond to the needs and aspirations of the communities to which we serve.