Milk drinkers across the country have helped Norco raise $87,913 for Black Dog Institute and the thousands of people in regional areas who need mental health support.
With nearly one-third of Australian farming communities admitting a decline in their mental health and close to half having had thoughts of self-harm or suicide, the money will go to help fund research, resources, and digital tools, which are particularly essential in regional areas where access to traditional mental health support is limited.
The funds were raised through a promotion where 5¢ of every Norco-branded white milk product purchased at Coles throughout March and April was earmarked for donation to Black Dog Institute.
The Norco and Black Dog Institute partnership was formed following research that found close to one-in-10 farmers felt unsupported through their mental health issues and one-in-seven could not access mental health services.
Black Dog Institute chief scientist Professor Samuel Harvey said there was a clear need for better access to mental health support and it was especially prevalent among people living in regional and rural areas of Australia.
“Regional and rural Australians deal with drought, bushfire, floods and isolation on top of all of life’s other pressures, yet access to mental health support is less than a fifth of the rate of people in cities,” Prof Harvey said.
“We are beyond grateful for partners like Norco who want to help and show their support in any way they can.
“We will be putting Norco’s much-needed funding to immediate use, including an Adult Wellbeing Program research project and a digital therapy treatment model application to be used alongside traditional face-to-face methods of mental health support.”
Norco’s commercial and strategy general manager Ben Menzies said it was fantastic to see so many committed Aussie consumers supporting the backbone of this country.
“Thank you to all our loyal customers who chose our dairy milk and generously donated to this very important cause that hopes to help address the issue of mental health in regional communities,” Mr Menzies said.
“Being a 100 per cent farmer-owned co-operative, Norco takes immense pride in its commitment to supporting our farmers, their families and the communities in which they live and work, and it’s incredible to see this enthusiasm extended to our customers who love what our farmers produce.
“Norco is honoured to have been able to support Black Dog Institute and the vital work they do for Australians.
“With the record number of people needing support, the funds raised is essential and will help strengthen our regional and rural communities.”
If you or anyone you know needs help, call Lifeline on 131 114.