It may be uncomfortable, but talking about your mental health is important. This is the message that the Randwick Youth Advisory Committee want to emphasise this October during Mental Health Month.

“It really is wonderful to see the young people of Randwick wanting to get involved and start mental health conversations with their peers,” said Randwick Mayor Lindsay Shurey. “It is an empowering and incredibly effective way for people in their teens and early twenties to access information and find support.

“It’s our hope that the mindfulness, meditation and Tai Chi events we’ve organised will help to relieve some of the stress that young people, especially students in year 11 and 12, may currently be experiencing.”

Members of the Randwick Youth Advisory Committee indicated that they wanted to be involved in a community awareness campaign that focussed on encouraging young people to talk about their mental health journeys.

They came up with three stress-relieving opportunities that would encourage young people to share how they were feeling and what they were thinking with their peers.

The youth-led community campaign for mental health and wellbeing was launched at the beginning of Mental Health Month, with 3-minute massages available on Tuesday October 10 from 4pm to 7pm in the study area of the Lionel Bowen Library, Maroubra. It is available free for young residents aged 12 to 24 years.

Other activities include free one-hour Tai Chi classes on Maroubra Beach every Friday starting at 7am, and free mindfulness meditation sessions in the Vonnie Young room at the Lionel Bowen Library from 10am to 12pm on Saturday 7 and 14 October.

For more information on activities, call Tania Krasinski on 0419 846 910.