Garth Hungerford, from the Murrumbidgee Local Health District, wears many hats, both as a professional agricultural consultant and as a volunteer on many local and state-wide committees. But it is his efforts to support the mental health of young people that are really making an impact.
After the bushfires in 2019 and the onset of COVID-19 in early 2020, Garth and the Wagga Wagga Local Health Advisory Committee identified a concerning spike in youth mental health.
"The pandemic had restricted opportunities for young people to socialise. They couldn't engage in team sports, see their mates and cousins, or even attend school. This led to so many feelings of isolation and anxiety," said Garth.
The committee knew that they needed to act quickly and in an innovative way to address the mental health needs of young people. Garth explained that they wanted to create a low-cost, easily accessible resource for young people to access help if needed, and so in a light bulb moment of realisation, Garth came up with a novel idea.
"We thought what can we do that is modern, helpful, and will be liked by young people, that is when we came up with the idea of the wristband."
Through hours of volunteer work by many committee members, a silicone wristband was developed with a QR code that, when scanned with a phone, directs young people to the Head to Health website. The online page provides young people with a range of resources related to mental health, including how to access support services, manage stress and anxiety, and maintain good mental health practices.
"The committee consulted with several youth groups, including Headspace Wagga Wagga, the local health district's Mental Health Alcohol and Drug team, and the Primary Health Network, to ensure the wristbands would be effective and well-received by young people," Garth explains.
"We launched the wristbands at a local school and were met with great enthusiasm from students and staff. Then media coverage spread the word about the new resource throughout the region, so we found ourselves distributing the wristbands to all high schools in the area, with some schools incorporating them into well-being days and school assemblies," adds Garth.
The committee's efforts to support youth mental health are a testament to the commitment of NSW Health to address the needs of local communities. The wristband project is an example of how low-cost, innovative solutions can make a real difference in the lives of young people.
"The cost of the wristbands was only a matter of cents each, with a range of colours, including the Aboriginal flag colours. For a project that cost very little to have such a significant impact was brilliant, if we help one child, the cost is nothing," Garth said.
The wristband project in Wagga Wagga is just one example of work from the many volunteers that make up NSW Health. Garth and his dedicated committee are still working very hard to promote good health in their community.
"Someone once asked me how much time I spend as a volunteer and a consumer representative with the local health district and other NSW Health committees, and I worked it out that I probably attended 96 meetings last year across all of my volunteer roles," recalls Garth.
That is 96 volunteer meetings in one year for one person. But the effort speaks for itself, and so too does the result. More than 13,000 wristbands have been distributed and counting.
"We have more to send out to more regional and rural areas, it has gained great interest and demand and many of the other Local Health Advisory Committees across our region have joined the cause."
One area he is particularly passionate about is rural healthcare.
"People in country areas travel vast distances and many hours to receive care at a major hospital. So for our patients, the idea of digital health is so important, but it must be accessible and truly make a difference to life in regional and rural NSW. Our LHAC is looking at how to make technology work for us in the country, and how telehealth can be more effective," said Garth.
"Youth health is our other major focus. We plan to host a Youth Health Forum later this year and are already working with partners to bring this to fruition."
Just as big as his selfless ambition, so too is Garth's love of his community and the people in it.
"We have just the most fantastic volunteers in this district that do so much for their small communities. They are really hard-working health advocates," said Garth.
"They are all a good bunch of people, all from different walks of life. We have a young girl on our committee that's been on it for 18 months. She is a year 12 student. It is just fantastic to hear her speak and to hear what the kids have got to say, because they are the next generation. We need to look after them and help them and this is why we've got that youth health focus. We all love it as volunteers. We wouldn't do it if we didn't love it," concludes Garth proudly.
Garth recently won the Volunteer of the Year Award at the NSW Health Awards, which acknowledges the significant contribution of an individual to volunteering within NSW Health.
