Cadia invests $100,000 in community mental health program, partnering with Gotcha4Life

Cadia has invested $100,000 into the program as part of its COVID-19 community recovery efforts, to help Gotcha4Life deliver presentations, workshops and training sessions in schools, sports clubs, community groups and local businesses.

The first of those will be emotional fitness sessions on Wednesday evening, which will be hosted in conjunction with the team at Tomorrow Man and Tomorrow Woman - organisations which aim to break down masculine stereotypes and empower women, respectively.

The men's event - A Night With The Blokes - will be hosted at The Hotel Canobolas from 6-8pm while the women's - Gather - will be at The Lord Anson from 7-9pm. Both are free, but people wanting to attend do need to register online at the Tomorrow Man and Tomorrow Woman websites.

"We are proud to partner with Gotcha4Life to bring this valuable program to the region and break down the stigma and barriers around mental health," Cadia Valley Operations General Manager Aaron Brannigan said.

"Gotcha4Life will build our community connection and increase mental fitness and resilience to help people deal with the challenges of life."

Cadia's investment is part of Newcrest's $20 million Community Support Fund, with Gotcha4Life already beginning engagement in the region by meeting with stakeholders and identify key areas where they can add value to the community.

The not-for-profit was established in response to alarming statistics around suicide in Australia, particularly in regional areas. Research shows COVID-19 and the resulting economic downturn has had a huge impact on mental health and suicide rates.

Gotcha4Life founder and director Gus Worland said the program could make a big difference in the Orange and Central West community, with Head of Program Management Vicky Worland set to be on hand for Wednesday's workshops.

"I want a society in which everyone has a Gotcha4Life mate - that go-to person who you can open up to and rely on about anything," Mr Worland said.

"A world where we seek help when life gets challenging, where we can build open and honest relationships and feel comfortable expressing ourselves no matter what."

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