Wellness Pavilion

07/03/2022

After a long period between posts, the exciting news is that the opening ceremony for the completed Wellness Pavilion is scheduled for Friday, March 25 at 11am. All those who have passed by the Eastbourne Road side of the school will have watched the construction taking place last year between lockdowns, and as we emerged in November, the build was complete.
Fitting out the spaces is still underway, but we are ready enough to officially open.

So, save the date, all are welcome. More details closer to the date.

03/06/2020

Building Update: Pre Tender Plans.

Our architects (CO-OP Studios) are currently preparing
documentation, in readiness to release tender documents next month. This opens up the timeline to begin construction in August/September. Very exciting! The rendered images here show the exterior cladding to dark stained gum - either black butt or box. The interior rooms will surround a central courtyard and of course the landscaping around the building will link it to neighbouring buildings whilst creating a sense of softness and calm.

Our preference is to engage with local businesses and to that end, we encourage local builders to examine the tender documents once released. The project will be managed by the Victorian Schools Building Authority and as such, it is essential for builders to be registered with them.

Any immediate queries can be directed to Rosebud Secondary College.

11/02/2020

Project update:

Some time has passed since the last post, during this time the Wellness Pavilion architects have been engaged to finalise the plans leading to detailed costings to be completed. This is very nearly done.

The Victorian School Building Authority will take over as project managers from that point as we lead into tendering for building companies. Only VSBA registered companies may tender for the project build. Throughout the fundraising phase of the project we have been seeking offers of donation either in materials or in kind (labour etc) to reflect the very strong connection back into the community and it remains our priority to support and engage local businesses and tradespeople.That hope (for donations) remains in the forefront of our planning and hopes. A reply to this post of any available offers will be gratefully followed up.

Certainly the financial backing by the local community was significant in propelling the value of the Wellness Pavilion into the arenas of state and federal government. We now expect this building to be completed this year, to everyone's joy!!

09/08/2019

We did it!!

Yesterday's visit to Rosebud Secondary College by the Honourable James Merlino MP and Chris Brayne MP was to announce the Andrews government investing $300,000 into the Wellness Pavilion. This brings the total raised and pledged to the one million dollar mark, which in turn means we now enter the building phase!

So many people to thank, most instrumental have been Rosebud/Rye Rotary, from day 1. Community minded southern Peninsula service clubs, support groups and individuals were all backed up by the significant $250,000 pledge from the Bendigo Bank which catalysed the $300,000 donation from the federal government through the Honourable Greg Hunt MP. This in turn led to the bipartisan involvement of the state government through Chris Brayne and his office.

Our vision throughout was for a facility to be available to the young people of the southern Peninsula community, to help them be the best version of themselves. To all those who have backed us and supported and encouraged us over the fundraising phase, an enormous "thank you". This page will keep active during the planing and construction stages to keep you all informed.

01/08/2019

Orygen continue to do fine work, supporting young people and their mental health. Our students have endorsed the plans for the Wellness Pavilion through the design phase and we are pleased to have the support of Patrick McGorry, following his visit to our school earlier this year

23/07/2019

Sharing a story from Minister Hunt's page, confirming to our supporters the receipt of the federal grant of $300,000
We do continue to receive genuine support from the state government also, driven by the office of Chris Brayne MP. We are hopeful of this support translating into similar support as demonstrated by the federal government.

Rosebud Secondary College received a boost to their efforts to secure a Wellness Pavilion, with the Federal Government formally signing off on $300,000 in funding for the centre.   Federal member for Flinders, the Hon. Greg Hunt MP, today joined with students and teachers from the School to celebra...

22/02/2019

Rosebud Secondary College students were given the opportunity in a Q&A style session today, to hear from Professor Patrick McGorry, AO and Hon Greg Hunt, MP on the topic of youth mental health. It was a great opportunity to host the Minister for Health, along with Australia's leading authority on youth mental health and the students asked searching and thoughtful questions - very proud of them.
Preceding the Q&A was an announcement from Mr Hunt that the Federal government are giving $300,000 unconditionally to the building of the Wellness Pavilion. This was fantastic news and places us one significant step closer to beginning the construction of this facility.
Please share this great news. Photos and more, to come. To everyone who has supported / followed, thank you and stick with us. It's all about supporting our young people and it is going to happen.

04/02/2019

Encouraging words from Chris Brayne, MP for Nepean last Friday (February 1) who backs the urgency for a facility on the Southern Peninsula to address the increasing need for provision of mental health support for our young people. Chris and Greg Hunt MP for Flinders, are meeting with Rosebud Secondary College on February 15.
The Wellness Pavilion will be a facility offering mindfulness programs to build resilience, while having dedicated spaces for individual counselling provision, right here on the Southern Peninsula, available as a joint use school and community facility. Community donations and pledges to date are totaling $430,000 and we need the final injection from State and Federal level to drive the project home. Send Chris and Greg expressions of your support for the Wellness Pavilion.

28/11/2018

The article below came across my desk this morning and reminds us all, why the Wellness Pavilion is such an important project.
At the same time, we take notice of Wellness Pavilion ambassador Sally Fitzgibbons' encouragement to keep working hard to reach our goals. Sally was a quarter finalist in Hawaii today and injury knocked her out.
We continue to pursue funding from government levels along with philanthropic groups, not losing sight of our end goal. Please read below and share this post.

"The Educator Online"

Students Mental Health Concerns Rise 10% in One Year
by Brett Henebery 28 Nov 2018

The number of young people reporting concerns around mental health has risen by 10% in one year according to Mission Australia’s Youth Survey 2018 released today.

Four in ten (43%) young people identified mental health as the top issue facing Australia today – up from 33% in 2017 and doubling since 2016. Mental health also entered the top three issues of personal concern in the annual survey which was completed by more than 28,000 young Australians.

The top three personal concerns were coping with stress (43%), school or study problems (34%) and mental health (31%). In previous years, the third most cited item was body image (30%), which moved to the fourth spot in 2018. Each of the top four personal concerns have strong links to mental health.

Mental health the top issue in every state

While in 2017, alcohol and drugs was the most important issue in Australia according to young people in Victoria, the Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia, mental health is now the top issue in every State and Territory for the first time.

The Youth Survey 2018 also shows that many young people reported feeling confident in their ability to achieve their study or work goals after finishing school.

The top three plans for young people after they finish school were to go to university, get a job or plans to travel/gap year. However, almost one in ten young people reported low levels of confidence.

Mission Australia CEO, James Toomey, applauded the important work that is already being done in schools to address the issue of mental health.

“Principals and teachers are at the frontline, and we must do everything to support them to best support young people’s needs,” Toomey told The Educator.

“It’s clear that schools must continue to play a key role in promoting mental health and wellbeing, including coping with stress.”

Toomey said the education system must ensure all principals and schools are funded and supported to deliver the right supports to their students.

“School leaders can, and do, prioritise providing opportunities and safe spaces within their schools for young people to have discussions about difficult mental health issues and to practice skills, such as when it is ethical to break a friend’s trust and how students can help their friends to navigate available support options,” he said.

Toomey said programs that are targeted at students who are particularly at risk of experiencing mental health concerns – such as those transitioning from primary to secondary school or secondary school to university, and those about to commence stressful exam periods such as Year 12 exams – are also “incredibly valuable”.

“It’s also important that school leaders continue to engage the wider school community – including students, staff and parents – to help reduce instances of mental ill health among young people,” Toomey said.

“There must be a range of opportunities to allow the school community to build relevant and practical skills and knowledge and understand how to provide pathways from peer support to professional help.”

'Community links are vital'

Toomey said family members and friends need to know how to navigate the variety of services and information sources, and will often find it useful to receive targeted information about ‘mental health first aid’ and other practical supports that exist.

“Fostering strong links between schools and a range of evidence-based and accredited mental health providers and e-health supports is also vital, as we know it helps to provide access for young people to mental health care services that are appropriate for their individual needs,” he said.

“Of course, teachers are often the first to recognise and identify the signs and symptoms of mental and behavioural disorders in young people and so it’s important that they are adequately supported so that they have the time and confidence to address the mental health needs of students.”

He said teachers and school counsellors must also be encouraged to provide early support for students who may be showing warning signs of experiencing a mental health concern.

“Principals are working hard to lead a culture of trust in their schools, so that young people feel comfortable turning to adults at school to seek advice and support,” Toomey said.

“We know that children and adolescents who are mentally well are more likely to succeed at school and their post-school aspirations, so there are many reasons to invest in and prioritise mental health and wellbeing programs at school and in the broader community.”

02/09/2018

Have you voted yet? Voting for "Pick My Project" concludes on September 17. Be sure you shortlist this vital project when you submit your votes. Share with your contacts to make sure we don't let this huge opportunity pass. Many thanks for your continuous support.

Visit my project and vote - The Wellness Pavilion will offer health and wellbeing services.

15/08/2018

"Anxiety and School: Teachers and Parents, a Powerful Team".
Wednesday August 22 at 7pm, Karen young will be presenting an information session on this very relevant topic. Bookings are open and early registration is encouraged. Karen spoke in 2017 to a full theatre and was very well received.

13/08/2018

Here is your chance to help make the Wellness Pavilion (“Community mental health and resilience centre”) a reality.
Since launching the project in 2015 to build a facility to support the youth in our community to be the best version of themselves, we have generated significant support from community groups, individuals and of course financial backing from Rosebud-Rye Rotary, Bendigo Bank, Commonwealth Bank and many organisations across the peninsula. We all understand the significance of the issues young people face and the importance of resilience in overcoming or preventing mental health issues.
Pick My Project is a Victorian-first community grants initiative, with at least $1 million in funding available in each metro and regional area. Now it’s time to vote!
Click on the image below then click to view projects.

The process to follow is to pick your three favourite project ideas in your local community and help make them a reality. You will notice that for the purposes of this grant, the project has been listed as the “Community mental health and resilience centre”.
Follow these steps to record your vote;
1. Register for a Pick My Project account by signing in
2. Select the local community by entering your suburb or address. You can then browse the local projects and create a short list of your favourites.
3. Pick your three favourite project ideas (one of them being the “Community mental health and resilience centre”) from your shortlist and verify your mobile phone number. You’ll then be able to submit your votes.
Thank you for your support.

Visit my project and vote - The Wellness Pavilion will offer health and wellbeing services.