Broadford Secondary College celebrated diversity last Monday, with students dressing in colourful clothes and engaging in activities alongside community organisations that promote diversity and wellbeing.
To help spread the word of inclusivity, Nexus Primary Health, Mitchell Shire youth officers and not-for-profit-organisation Reclink Australia introduced their services through several activities including a wheel prize, face painting, recreational sport, friendship bracelets, and an information table.
Broadford Secondary College counsellor Bronwyn Kinnear, who is part of the student wellbeing team, said the lunchtime activity ensured students were informed about different services the school and community offered.
“We are aware that some students don’t feel comfortable talking about those kinds of issues at home and sometimes don’t feel comfortable talking about it at school either, and that can show in significant mental health problems,” she said
“This is an opportunity for them to see that it’s okay, and that we’re here to support them.”
Nexus Primary Health diversity officer Mathew Fowler, who takes care of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, LGBTQIA+, department at Nexus, said while the focus was on mental health, there was also the opportunity to present where students could locate safe spaces across the shire.
“It’s important to offer to the students so that way we can also promote our LGBTQIA+ 12 to 18-year-old youth group, which is run out of Broadford youth room – hopefully get some more students to attend that, and also making LGBTQIA+ aware to the students, as well as diversity,” he said.
Not-for-profit organisation Reclink Australia also promoted its program in conjunction with VicHealth, which aims to reach more than 10,000 young people to actively engage in sport within Mitchell Shire and beyond.
Sports coordinator Daniel Lloyd, who was interacting with students through recreational sports such as spikeball and finiska, said recreational activities helped foster the community and confidence within students.
“We’re a community-based organisation and we’re trying to get people that are disconnected in community back involved in community and we think that sport and recreation is a great way to do that,” he said.
“We do a lot of different lawn games. We found that they’re a great way to reach that middle ground. It’s not the big physical contact sports like netball and football, but it’s a good one for people just to join in any ability, any age group.”
