Sarah Ford Foundation - Fundraising Event February 2025

Shine a Light on Mental Health Walk 2025

The Sarah Ford Foundation is planning a walk for all ages and abilities on Friday 28th March, from 5:00pm to 8:00pm.

The walk will primarily be raising funds for the Sarah Ford Foundation - we are established to be a charity whose purpose is to alleviate the negative impact of mental health symptoms and to assist in the prevention of the further deterioration of mental health; by providing exercise services to women who have experienced domestic violence, poverty and homelessness. We are a fully registered not-for-profit with the Australian Not-for-profit Charities Commission (ACNC) and hold all the applicable licenses.

I am inviting members of the public from Byford and surrounds to attend the event which will be $10 for adults, $5 for 16 years to 18 years and free for those under 16 years. In Byford, in the 2021 Census 1,785 adults stated that they were experiencing long term mental health conditions - in particular anxiety and depression. I also know that within our Shire - many people are lonely and loneliness is a precursor to depression. Therefore, this event will see everyone involved walking as many laps as we can to get to 1,785.

I hope to invite Shire President Rob Coales to talk and also Hugh Jones if they are free.

I am looking to have some live music, a sausage sizzle, an ice cream van and a face painter.

I would like to ask yourselves as the local sporting clubs if when we get the event approved, please would you consider sharing this event with your members and their families to take part in - to bring as many people along as possible. To really show that collectively as a Shire we care about mental health in our community.

The funds that will be raised will go towards helping to start a unique service in WA that will help women who are survivors of family and domestic violence (FDV) to regain their lives through exercise. This is planned to start in January 2026. FDV has reached abhorrent levels within the community and we all have a part to play in uniting to say that this is not acceptable and that we stand against FDV.

Although this event is primarily to raise funds for the Foundation, I also would like this to be a time where I invite yourselves - as the local sporting clubs - to have stalls to bring awareness to the community about your services. What services do you offer to the community and how taking part in local sport can positively impact mental health. I have recently met with Minister Templeman, who is the Minister for Sport and Recreation and we were discussing particularly the need to bring women into sport.

I would love to see as many sporting clubs as possible come a long and show that they support sport/exercise for mental health.

I am trying to stand for big change in our community regarding how people view exercise, and at the same time bring a much needed service to our Byford and to our neighbouring City of Armadale. Your support would be gratefully received and much appreciated.

If you could please reach out to me via the Foundation's email if you are keen to take part and/or if you happy to share this event amongst your members and their families. If you could RSVP ASAP, that would be really great, thank you.

admin@sarahfordfoundation.org

Thank you for taking the time to read about this event, and please let me know if you have any questions.