Kids’ mental health at forefront of The Resilience Project’s visit to Shepparton

By Gabriel Garcia

Sep 8, 2022

Mindfulness: Riverlinks will play host to The Resilience Project’s show on Monday, September 19. Photo by Megan Fisher

Shepparton will play host to The Resilience Project’s Victorian tour on Monday, September 19, as the mental health organisation seeks to tackle kids’ mental wellbeing in light of the COVID-19 pandemic with a high-energy show.

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The show begins at 11am at the Riverlinks Westside venue and will involve music, storytelling and plenty of laughs, as The Resilience Project’s Martin Heppell teaches children aged five to 10 and their parents ‘three happy tricks’.

Mr Heppell, a former AFL player for St Kilda and Melbourne, has delivered more than 1000 presentations for The Resilience Project.

The tour comes off the back of the recent end to COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, with research showing that they have taken a devastating toll on Victoria’s youth.

One in four primary school students is estimated to be experiencing symptoms of depression. And almost one in three is experiencing symptoms of anxiety.

The Resilience Project’s founder and best-selling author of two books on mental health, Hugh van Cuylenburg, said: “After two years of really tough lockdowns, social isolation and navigating the challenges of online learning, it’s no wonder we are seeing such confronting statistics about our children’s mental health.”

The tour is being billed as a great opportunity for families to learn Mr Cuylenburg’s message of practising gratitude, empathy and mindfulness and how to incorporate them into their daily lives.

To date more than one million Australians have heard the GEM message.

Tickets are available in person, online or through the Riverlinks Box Office on 03 5832 9511 and range from $30 to $50. The show begins at 11am and ends at 1pm.