Allendale East Area School has won the R U OK? Education Award at the 2023 Barbara Hocking Memorial Awards.
The awards recognise those who help create a world where we are all connected and protected from suicide and are presented in five categories: Workplace, Education, Community, Conversation Leader, and Young Conversation Leader.
The school works closely with local support services by inviting into the school to speak with students about the importance of looking after themselves and others.
More recently, the school welcomed an R U OK? community ambassador who role-played with students about when and how to ask, ‘are you OK?’ and the 4 steps of an R U OK? conversation.
Amelia Gilbert from R U OK? announced the Education Award and congratulated the Allendale East Area School for the efforts they are making to encourage meaningful conversations in their school community.
“Looking out for one another and lending support are key life skills for every age group,” she said.
“Allendale East Area School have made efforts to genuinely change the behaviour and attitudes of both staff and students by encouraging everyone to lend appropriate and compassionate support to family, friends, classmates, and colleagues.
“Congratulations to the team at Allendale East Area School and thank you for championing the R U OK? message.”
The Barbara Hocking Memorial Awards were first presented in 2019 in memory of the late Barbara Hocking OAM.
R U OK? Chief executive officer Katherine Newton said Mrs Hocking was a fearless mental health advocate and campaigner.
“Her leadership and achievements had a positive impact on how people living with mental illness and their families are treated and regarded in Australia,” she said.
“These awards honour her lifelong commitment to peer support by highlighting the opportunity we all have to make a difference to those in our world.
“Barbara was one of the first leaders in the mental health and suicide prevention sector to recognise the merit of the R U OK? mission in breaking down stigma.
“Our nominees demonstrate the values she lived by every day.”
