Grafton greets the Conversation Convoy

Hundreds of residents greeted the Conversation Convoy this morning at Market Square and shared their thanks for including the community on its journey.

Clarence Valley Men’s Aboriginal Group cooked bacon and egg rolls to start the morning, with Aunty Robyn Bancroft giving a welcome to country and sharing local language and tribe history with those in attendance. “May this gathering bring us all closer together” she said.

Member for Clarence, Christopher Gulaptis MP reflected that “R U OK?Day is about mates looking out for mates” and Mayor of Clarence Valley, Jim Simmons, urged people to understand that they don’t have to be an expert look out for one another. “Often that sympathetic ear is exactly what they need. We need to ask those close to us and ourselves if we are OK. It's something we should practise all year round." he said.

The R U OK? Mateship Manual was on display and handed out to those who joined the event. The Mateship Manual is a free resource aimed at those in regional and rural communities who may wish to have conversation tips at hand if they are planning a conversation with someone they’re worried about.

Samantha Osborne of RAMHP (Rural Adversity Mental Health Program) represented an abundance of local support services who joined the event. Samantha spoke of the hope and resilience of Grafton families, and gave an overview of where locals can go to for support including the new headspace centre which opened last year after a community push for more youth services.

Teams from headspace, Our Healthy Clarence and StandBy Support After Suicide, were all in attendance and chatted with guests, arming them with information to take away.

Local talent R U OK? Ambassador Tullara Connors gave an uplifting performance whilst family and friends watched on. Tullara shared her personal experience of an R U OK? conversation that helped change her life following the loss of her father, and shared her love of music and checking in with friends.

Special thanks to Sue Hughes of Our Healthy Clarence and Sam Osborne from RAMHP.

The Conversation Convoy continues its journey with next stop: Inverell (NSW).