TEAM spirit can save lives, say the people behind the It's Okay, Not To Be Okay charity, as the Merbein Football Netball Club prepares to host its annual suicide-prevention event at Kenny Park on Saturday.
The charity, established and run buy three Mornington Peninsula sisters whose brother took his own life six years ago, has built a special relationship with the club and the town since its first event two years ago and one of them, Georgia Hocking, has told Sunraysia Daily that "there's just something about that club".
"They've just totally gotten around the message, and each other, and you can just see that it's a really special community," she said.
"People get so much from being at the club and the club also gives back to its community."
Ms Hocking, who runs the charity with sisters Maddi and Hayleigh, said hers was a sporting family and that's why they saw sporting clubs as the ideal vehicle for the message that it's OK to talk about your mental health problems, and to reach out to help others with theirs.
"I kind of believe that sport is the new religion," she said.
"We used to go to church once a week and that was our community and that's how we used to look after each other, but most people aren't religious anymore and in my opinion sport has replaced that.
"On the netball court or on the football field, you're really there as a team. If someone gets injured, we get the trainer for them, and we want it to be the same for mental health."
Ms Hocking said society was slowly changing to embrace openness in the cause of mental health and that this change was being encouraged by high profile sportspeople and other well-known identities.
"Six years ago, when this happened, we hadn't really heard about anyone doing anything in the space of suicide prevention, but you pretty much can't turn on the TV or watch a reality program now and not hear someone openly talking about their journey, whatever that may be, and I think that's amazing," she said.
"We're seeing even elite sportspeople taking time away, or people with public profiles speaking up about getting help."
Ms Hocking is in COVID isolation and won't be able to attend this year's event at Merbein, but the club will sell the charity's merchandise, including its signature beanies, to raise funds to stage more community awareness events, sponsor counselling sessions for people who can't afford them, and provide "grief packs" to help those who have lost a loved one know that there is a way through such tragedy, and that there's support available for them.
Merbein will host host Irymple at Kenny Park on Saturday.Lifeline 13 11 14, Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636, Headspace 5021 2400
