Wagga's Embrace Mental Health Meetups Venue Change

Embracing mental health: Samantha Brunskill with Emily Mitchell

Anyone with a mental illness and feeling alone need only look for the purple balloon this week.  

Embrace Mental Health Meetups provide a safe and casual space for Wagga residents to chat or just listen to like-minded individuals on the first Thursday of every month. 

In a venue change-up participants are invited to The Hampden at 6pm for February’s meeting.

Embrace founder Samantha Brunskill said a table would be booked and identified by a purple balloon.  

“We’re trying to turn it into a dinner to add a more social element to it,” Ms Brunskill said. 

“It’s a catch up with people who have been through the same experiences … it’s inclusive and accepting.”

The bipolar advocate and entrepreneur said she hoped to create more of a social element at the monthly chats with all ages welcome.

“If you don’t want to come alone, you can bring a friend,” she said. 

“When you’re living with a mental illness you often feel like you need to put on a facade. 

“So for one hour you can be completely authentic, raw and honest and if you can learn how to do that, you can gradually turn that into your 24-hour way of living.”