“I could see how isolated shearing sheds were from support. I tried to access it myself and found it hard, even with my health background,” she said. “Every loss is tragic and seeing that multiplied in a number of losses made me think that I’m in a position to do something about this.” In late 2023, Carol established a Facebook page for sHedspace (later rebranded to sHedway) as a means to share mental health support, advice and information that she believed was desperately needed within the shearing community. She wanted it to be visible ahead of the Christmas break, knowing how difficult that time can be for people. “During that Christmas period, one shearer in Northern NSW died by suicide and that reinforced why I should be doing this.” Started as a self-funded initiative, sHedway has grown to receive a wealth of community donations and support. It has now been granted charity status by the Australian Charities and Not-forprofits Commission. Carol and her small team visit shearing schools, industry events, speed and sports shear competitions as well as agricultural shows to spread the message. In the span of 46 weeks, Carol and the sHedway team attended 42 events and were overwhelmed with the positive response. “We are fortunate to have had incredible community donations so we now have a great foundation,” she said. “I’m in awe of the growth and support of the shearing community.” They’ve also developed toolbox talks to roll out at shearing schools and for shearing teams on-farm with a focus on addressing the elephant in the room and providing accessible resources. “We like to visit shearing sheds and hang out for the day, helping and chatting along the way,” Carol said. “My goal is to make it normal to talk about mental health in the sheds and help people learn how to help themselves, while also recognising the signs in other people.” Another goal of Carol’s is to bring certified mental health workshops into regional communities, including mental health first aid courses and SafeTALK programs, to help equip people with intervention skills and provide knowledge on how to recognise and respond to mental health crises. “My mission is to have everyone look after their own mental health as well as a shearer looks after their gear.” Carol will represent NSW/ACT at the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award Gala Dinner at Australian Parliament House in September. If you or someone you know is struggling, Lifeline’s trained crisis supporters are there for you >> lifeline.org.au YOU ARE NOT ALONE. HELP IS AVAILABLE. CALL 13 11 14 TEXT 0477 13 11 14 LIVE CHAT Photo: Clancy Paine. See how sHedway are helping to prevent suicide and create positive mental health throughout the Australian shearing industry. DISCOVER SHEDWAY – 17 –
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