The Story of Grit and Resilience
The Grit and Resilience Program came about after the Rural City of Wangaratta and community rallied in 2018 to address mental health and suicide in the municipality. The Federal Government provided financial support of $1.2 million, auspiced by Murray Primary Health Network, which funded the Program in its first years to 30 June 2023.
Coordinated by the Rural City of Wangaratta, the Program was guided by a consortium of agencies along with four community partners.
The Program followed the collective impact model and took a community-driven approach to better address and improve mental health and wellbeing and support for those affected by suicide in the Wangaratta municipality.
In these initial years the Program focused on three priority areas, two of which were directly nominated by community. These priorities were:
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Creating connections – improving opportunities for people to connect.
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Including and involving – promoting inclusion.
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Postvention - promoting a change in community attitudes and in the response of services before and after a death by suicide within our community.
As the The Grit and Resilience program mobilised various community groups to build strength, courage and connection within the Rural City of Wangaratta community with the goal of these groups becoming sustainable into the future, the community enjoyed a variety of workshops and events as well as the formation of regular groups, many of which continue to meet to this day.
This is Grit and Resilience