Many Canberrans are familiar with Running for Resilience, now there is Strolling for Resilience.
Canberra man Matt Breen, who lost his own father to suicide, started Running for Resilience, weekly running events, to build a sense of community, foster connection and work towards Canberra being "suicide-free by 2033".
Running for Resilience, with the support of The Dock on the Kingston foreshore, has runs starting from the foreshore at 6.15am on Monday and Friday, and at 6pm on Wednesday.
The times were not always conducive to families getting involved but now Strolling for Resilience is filling that gap.
A FAMILY-FRIENDLY GET-TOGETHER
Launching on Thursday, October 19, Strolling for Resilience will take place every Thursday at 10.30am, also starting from the Arc de Resilience on Kingston Foreshore (the large iron structure off 37 Eastlake Parade, Kingston).
Like Running for Resilience, Strolling for Resilience is all about people getting together as a community, exercising at a pace that suits them, creating social connections to build mental resilience and, of course, a coffee afterwards.
Melissa Oloyede, a volunteer with Running for Resilience, said Strolling for Resilience would also take place for a run or a walk every week "rain, hail or shine" as a constant for people to attend.
"It's something you can count on being there," she said.
"We find if you can exercise for 30 minutes and connect, then your mental health will improve and you'll feel better about yourself."
COME ALONG WHEN YOU CAN
The Dock co-owner Jane Collins and Olivia Alexander, sister-in-law of another co-owner Ben Alexander, are also mums with young children looking forward to Strolling with Resilience taking off.
Olivia, who is mum to Harvey, three, and Archer, four months, said people could come along every week or just when it was convenient.
"I think the benefit of coming is to meet other like-minded people, so mums and dads and carers, who have kids at home," she said.
"It's a nice idea to get out of the house for one and have a coffee at the end but also, if you need to, it's a safe space to be able to talk about your struggles and what you're going through as a parent, which is easily the toughest job in the world."
'A WONDERFUL COMMUNITY'
Jane, who is mum to Ireland Camara, two, said The Dock was proud to help support Strolling for Resilience, just as it had Running for Resilience (R4R).
"We partnered with R4R from the beginning and it's been sort of like the home for R4R and we're so thrilled to be part of such a wonderful community," she said.
"I love with Strolling for Resilience that it's a place to come, but there's no pressure. You can turn up when you can and meet people. It's just lovely."
- Strolling for Resilience starts at the Arc De Resilience off Eastlake Parade on the Kingston Foreshore at 10.30am on Thursday, October 19, and then every Thursday thereafter.
