Tony Quinn and Highlands Motorsport Park are committed to supporting the Cromwell community, funding mental health first aid workshops for local school students as well as paying for a social worker to work in the community for the next five years
The programme aims to take pressure off other services, with early interventions, while also providing local families with a strong support network.
“This initiative will help a lot of young people and families in the local community,” Quinn said.
“If we can save one life, then it will be worthwhile. I lost a daughter to cancer when she was 40 and for any parent to bury their child is a hugely traumatic thing to go through. As a community, we want to try and avoid that at all costs.”
Tamah Alley a former Police Youth Aid Officer and councillor at Central Otago District Council, who also sits on the Cromwell Youth Trust board supports the initiative taken by Quinn.
“It’s needed everywhere, not just in Cromwell,” says Alley,
“Our community and young people face challenges that have been heightened by the Covid-19 pandemic. The lockdowns and uncertainty of the pandemic have exacerbated the mental health challenges facing our young people and their families. Waitlists to see mental health clinicians are massive and our location means we don’t have access to the same services available in other parts of the country.”
The social worker will support families and their access to assistance, support networks and information about their rights and entitlements, while also focusing on mental health and education.
They will also act as an advocate for families, children and young people when engaging with social services.
“This initiative will make a tangible difference to the lives of many families in Cromwell,” Tamah Alley said.
“Community mental health and wellbeing is a collective responsibility, not just the responsibility of the mental health sector.”