National Self Help and Support Groups Awareness Day
- helping each other to help ourselves

Wednesday 8th September 2010

For the first time ever, self help and support groups throughout Australia are being invited to take part in a national week of recognition and celebration of the important role they play in Australian society. The week extends from 6th - 12th Sept.

On Wednesday 8th September 2010, in as many towns and cities as possible around Australia, SHQ and our sister organisations in the other States will be undertaking a range of activities aimed at raising an awareness of self help and support groups.

Of course we can’t do it alone! We need all sorts of groups, small or large, to join us in our efforts to let the wider community, health professionals and government know about the existence of the broad range of groups and their value to the health, social, and economic fabric of Australian society.

In Queensland we are inviting groups from anywhere in the State to:

  1. Join the Awareness Day reference group (SHQ can set up a teleconference or group email - regional reps very welcome! You can just be a keen supporter of self help and support groups to take part!)
  2. Advertise the Awareness Day/Week in your group’s newsletters, websites etc
  3. Think of any awareness raising activities you could undertake in your town on the day, or any day during Awareness Week 6th to 12th September
  4. Consider harnessing the support of any high profile personalities you think might lend a hand to raising awareness of the value of self help
  5. Investigate the use of public space for a promotional activity - ask your local council for permission/support for an event
  6. Think about what media outlets you could contact for publicity
  7. Register your plans with SHQ so we can keep track of what’s happening in our State (and gain helpful suggestions at the same time)
  8. Please contact SHQ if there is any way at all you think we could help you

Please try to encourage your group to be part of this day, or week, even in a modest way. Any participation would be welcome - even a telephone call to a radio talk back station just letting people know about your group, and the value of self help.

Everyone is invited to join in

You may not even belong to a self help or support group, but you may be an avid supporter of the idea of people helping themselves to achieve better health and well being. You may be a professional who facilitates a group. If so, please consider joining the effort to raise the public profile of self help and support groups.

We will be keeping you up to date through our newsletter and website. Please share your ideas and plans with us too. We are all hoping that this will become a registered national event. It can only be of benefit to groups - we would hope that increased membership, better funding opportunities and a well informed community would be just some of the desired outcomes.

Please phone us on 07 3344 6919 or Email selfhelp@gil.com.au