By Jed Lanyon
For the third consecutive year, Healesville Junior Football Club will be putting the spotlight on mental health and youth suicide when they partner with Positive T Shirts to host the ‘Talk Out Loud’ round at Queens Park Oval on Sunday 14 July.
The club will be raising funds for youth organisation In2Life and players will wear blue armbands to raise awareness about the growing issue.
Healesville Junior Football Club committee member and founder of Positive T Shirts Neil Milton said he is looking forward to helping prevent youth suicide.
“We recognised that suicide in the Yarra Valley is quite high and we’re trying to stop that,” he said.
“As a committee we recognise that it’s really important to educate the kids about mateship and how important it is to look after our mates and to be talking out loud.”
Mr Milton said he was motivated to help raise awareness for mental health issues after witnessing another person end their own life when he was 20.
“I really wanted to make a difference and I wanted to start a clothing brand because I was sick of all the other stuff that was out there that was unethical and wasn’t about making a difference.
“We’ll be having a Positive T Shirts stall here and we will be selling hats, shirts, beanies and stickers and all those proceeds will be going towards preventing youth suicide.
“People see the Positive logo or they see Talk Out Loud and they ask about it. They end up asking that question and it starts the conversation on the topic that no one wants to talk about.”
Mr Milton said that the event will run all day alongside the club’s junior games and will feature a barbecue, the Positive T Shirts stall, and an artist will be drawing cartoons and caricatures of people from 8am to 1pm.
“I’m hoping that people walk away with the feeling that it’s okay to talk about what’s going on in their life and to not keep it to themselves.”
For more information about Positive T Shirts, visit: https://www.positivetshirts.com.au/
