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Brisbane highlights: connecting for mental health and celebrating carers across Queensland in October

 

Across Brisbane, Arafmi hosted and joined a range of events throughout October for Queensland Mental Health Week (4–12 October) and National Carers Week (12–18 October), bringing carers, community partners and government representatives together to celebrate and recognise the vital role of mental health carers. Some of the highlights included:

  • Attending the QLD Mental Health Awards hosted by Open Minds, shining a spotlight on the everyday heroes making a big difference in mental health.
  • Launch of the Parliamentary Friends of Mental Health Carers Group (QLD) at Parliament House, an Arafmi-led initiative co-chaired by Kerri-Anne Dooley MP (Redcliffe) and Jonty Bush MP (Cooper), both with lived or living experience as mental health carers. We were proud to stand alongside carers, raising awareness and speaking with MPs about the challenges they face and how Arafmi supports them.
  • Walk for Awareness, where our team walked side-by-side with carers to raise awareness of mental health and suicide prevention, showing the power of connection and community.
  • Equine-Assisted Carer Wellbeing Workshop, a calming day that gave carers a chance to pause, reconnect with their wellbeing and explore practical tools for self-care.
  • Community stalls at Runcorn State High School’s Wellbeing Day, New Farm State School’s Mini Mental Health Expo, Brisbane Family Fun Day (organised by Carers QLD) and Loud and Proud Logan, where we shared local supports and resources for carers.

October showed just how strong Queensland’s caring community is and how much we can achieve when we connect, collaborate and care together. 

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Brisbane highlights: connecting for mental health and celebrating carers across Queensland in October

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