Resilience movement in action

The potential of a newly introduced Resilient Ararat wellbeing plan has shone through following the first event of a three-year movement.

Resilient Ararat is a project aimed at improving the resilience, happiness and mental wellbeing of the Ararat municipality, based on nationally acclaimed The Resilience Project.

Led by a committee of school principals and representatives from businesses, community groups and organisations, Resilient Ararat hosted its first major event on Monday with two resilience-focused seminars at Ararat Town Hall, facilitated by The Resilience Project’s Martin Heppell.

The event was the first to tail a Resilient Ararat launch in December last year and was quickly followed by events across Ararat primary schools yesterday, with secondary school seminars set for today.

Central Grampians Local Learning

and Employment Network youth project officer and Resilient Ararat member Jane Moriarty said Monday’s introductory event gathered nearly 500 people.

She said the level of interest was testimony to the hard work of Ararat schools in driving interest in The Resilience Project and bringing its ideas to the area, and a positive sign for the ongoing development and success of the movement.

“There seemed to be a really good vibe at the session, and as people were leaving and so far after the event, we’ve had really positive feedback,” she said.

“Now that The Resilience Project has visited – which was the launch of Resilient Ararat – and following the primary and secondary school sessions, we’ll have 11 schools across Ararat implementing The Resilience Project curriculum, which is focused on good mental health practices and wellbeing.

“Then we’ll introduce a wider program across the community offering various activities and events.

“The hope is that each year we will be able to mirror The Resilience Project and have bigger and better events and activities right across the community.”

Ms Moriarty said Resilient Ararat had a heavy focus on developing good mental health in the community’s youth.

She said The Resilience Project would send a representative to check in on schools in term two, to see how they were progressing with their resilience-based curriculum in the classroom.

She said two youth mental health sessions, one targeted at teachers and the other for the wider community and youth workers, were also locked in for April.

“So far that’s all we have planned, but we have a fair few ideas in the pipeline,” she said.