Check in on someone you haven’t heard from in a while
In times like these, the spirit of Aussie mateship has never been more important. We’re all doing it tough, in tough times, and our mates help us through. Aussie mateship doesn’t mean grand gestures, it means reaching out to our friends, workmates and neighbours just to check in and make sure they are OK.
“On May 8, be a mate and reach out. Call or message someone you haven’t heard from in a while,” said Julia Frith, LIP Mateship is Contagious campaign champion.
More than 600 Illawarra mates have joined the Illawarra Leadership program’s ‘Mateship is Contagious’ movement in less than three weeks, pulling together and showing genuine care for each other.
The Leadership Illawarra Program is encouraging the community to join the movement by being a mate this Friday and sharing stories of mateship in their ‘Mateship is Contagious’ Facebook group.
“We want mateship to spread even further in the Illawarra and on May 8, be a m8 and join the movement,” said Ms Frith.
In the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, the spirit of mateship is well and truly alive. With a number of services disrupted by physical distancing, staff have been volunteering to help their colleagues in other, very different, work areas. Dentists are putting their skills to work in our COVID clinics, and corporate and community health staff are manning the phones in the Public Health team to relieve their workmates’ increasing workloads.
“Most importantly, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District staff are checking in on the wellbeing of their colleagues, and it’s something we can all do. Showing they care makes all the difference in these tough times,” said Raychel Davis LIP Cohort member and Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District Director People, Safety and Culture.
The Leadership Illawarra Program (run by RDA Illawarra) campaign “Mateship is Contagious” has quickly started the contagion of mateship in our community. RDA Illawarra CEO Debra Murphy, said: “the Leadership Illawarra mates have started the spread and this May 8, it’s time to be a M8, check in on someone you haven’t heard from and let’s turn this movement into a pandemic.”
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Media Contacts:
Julia Frith - 0466918545 - Leadership Illawarra Program Media Contact
ISLHD Media and Communications Team - 02 4221 6859
ISLHD-Communications@health.nsw.gov.au
Media pack includes:
facebook.com/groups/mateshipiscontagious