Central Grampians Local Learning and Employment Network, LLEN, is encouraging Ararat and district residents to take part in Resilient Ararat’s fourth annual Mental Health Month campaign during October.

The Stick to it Challenge commenced yesterday and invites participants to compete with friends, family, colleagues and classmates to complete 31 wellbeing activities and random acts of kindness by the end of the month.

Local students developed the tasks, which are collated on an official Stick to It Challenge sheet.

All students from Resilient Ararat’s cluster schools received a challenge sheet and a set of stickers they can place over tasks as they complete them.

Central Grampians LLEN executive officer and Resilient Ararat representative Jane Moriarty encouraged community members to participate by collecting a free challenge sheet from Central Grampians LLEN or Ararat Gallery TAMA. Ms Moriarty said the challenge was a great way for the community to prioritise mental wellbeing and practice empathy.

“This is such a fun activity that absolutely anyone can do. We know that kindness is empathy in action and the Stick to it Challenge is designed to provide the community with really simple ways to practise kindness,” she said.

“Whether you complete the challenge as a family or individually, you will find your mood lifts each time you complete one of the set tasks.”

Ms Moriarty said participants could choose one task to complete each day.

“Place a sticker on your challenge sheet each time you finish a task and see if you can cover all the squares by the end of the month,” she said.

“In addition to spreading kindness throughout the community, you will be building positive habits that you can maintain as ongoing wellbeing strategies long after October has ended.”

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