Will To Live 'Speak Up' Tour 2019

Project 2018-10-09 09:42:43 +1300

Give rural males a 'will to live' when they won't talk

A Lincoln University student and her friends want to turn around the alarming trend of young rural males that are committing suicide after she lost her boyfriend - a 21-year-old North Otago high country shepherd.

She warns that the demographic of her boyfriend are poorly catered for in the New Zealand mental health system, as it's not in their culture to ring a helpline and counselors take 6-8 weeks to get an appointment in towns hundreds of kilometres away.

They are taking a different approach to get the message into the young rural males mind

‘Will to Live’ campaign, a mental health awareness campaign targeted at young rural males and is founded by student, Elle Perriam, 20, along with her sister, RadioLIVE’s Rural Exchange co-host Sarah Perriam, Adam Williams and Sam Gregory.

“I want males to ‘speak up’ about surviving their own battles with depression and in turn create a culture where we are more confident to share that surviving is a strength not a weakness and that it is ‘normal’.

They are going straight to the one thing they love the most

Shepherd’s love their team of working dogs. They often spend a lot of time with them alone out in the hills and when they are isolated on the farm. Their dogs are always loyal and never force them to speak. But.. shepherd’s often command their dogs to ‘speak up’ to bark and muster sheep or cattle. So the question now is, why won’t you?

Those they want to encourage to ‘Speak Up’ on their 10-date regional New Zealand tour are local’s in that country area that have survived depression and found their ‘will to live’ helping those who would normally not talk, at least remember their ‘will to live’ in their darkest times.

Support Jess to help young rural males find and remember their “Will to Live”

“We are using Jess, who was my boyfriend’s favourite black huntaway, as the mascot for the New Zealand ‘Speak Up’ tour.  We want to ram home the power of having gratitude.”

Jess will go on tour across New Zealand in 2019 with Elle & Sarah to host a year of symbolic ‘Speak Up’s’ in rural country pubs with a ‘bark-up’ and evening of speakers & entertainment.

Jess is also symbolic to the campaign as depression is often referred to as the ‘black dog’.

The team need your help to crowdfund the expenses of a 10-date regional ‘Speak Up’ tour in country pubs.

This will allow the funding for Elle Perriam and her sister Sarah to travel with Jess to 10 rural country pubs around New Zealand & host ‘Speak Up’ events featuring a night of food, storytelling, live music & a charity ‘Bark Up’ of huntaways with prizes to be won!

Any funds raised passed the target will go towards hosting more locations on the ‘Speak Up’ tour calendar in 2019.

Jess hopes you enjoy the rewards she has chosen for you to pledge generously to help her and Elle hit the road across rural New Zealand to spread the message!

Links to the rewards in more detail :

• Training Pen reward ($100) - Pup Pen to Paddock Book by Lloyd Smith
• Oilskin reward ($150) - Swandrii Oilskin Dog Coat 
• My Will to Live reward ($250) - Sterling Silver whistle jewellery by 'Whistle & Pop'
• Winter Wellbeing reward ($750) - Kevin - Thermokennel

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