2022 in review

2022 was yet another successful year for Activate Mental Health. We keep on evolving and improving as time goes by.?Below are some of the highlights our leadership team saw Activate Mental Health achieve in 2022

Our year in statistics

During this fantastic year, we had more than ~3,500+ times where people responded to our invitation over 357 events!! It’s almost one event a day which is incredible!!!

The number of members has increased by 22% to reach a total members of 4,929 at the end of November 2022.

Last year, we sent out a survey to understand the direct impact of our group. The results were unanimous:

98% of survey respondents their mental health improved

86% of survey respondents felt less socially isolated

Clearly, we have a big impact on our local community and those figures prove it! Thanks to all our legendary volunteers so THANK YOU!!!!

Formation of our leadership team

AMH is working to improve support for our volunteers and sustainably grow the number of?meetups and members.? Over this year we built the leadership team through seeking people with a diverse skill set and passion for building positive mental health to support this.?

In 2022 the team focussed on improving our structure and governance systems and have been undertaking research and consultation to establish AMH as a not for profit.? In addition to the activities detailed later in this review, we have created volunteer and member codes of conduct to be incorporated into the improved volunteer management process. We also sought feedback from volunteers to better understand how they would like to be supported.? This has resulted in the team commencing work on a volunteer handbook to answer key questions.?

The AMH leadership team is?

Rahul Seth, Founder

Cyrille Isambert, Governance and Strategy

Kayla Clemson, Volunteer Coordination

Emma O’Neil, Governance and Strategy

Joel Carter, Marketing and Social Media

We’re excited to see how we can support the growth of AMH and our members in the coming years.

Establishment of a queer social club

As Activate Mental Health gains more traction as the number of participants grow so does the diversity of our group. Kayla Clemson along with fellow volunteer Charlotte decided to launch the Queer Social Group. This is a group like minded people in the LGBTQIA+ community to get together in a safe environment with people in their community and just be their authentic self.?

Kayla and Charlotte participated in Vic Park Neighbourhood Soup, a pitch night format hosted by the Victoria Park Collective. There, Activate Mental Health’s volunteers were awarded first prize and $500 worth of sponsorship to bring the group to life. As it gained traction Activate Mental Health was also blessed with some sponsorship from Blooming Minds. Though the group is still in its growing stages it is growing with more regularly attending each month at the Victoria Park Community Centre.?

Improvements to our volunteer management processes

With the support of Kayla Clemson, Activate Mental Health's new Volunteer Manager the management process has gone more smoothly and volunteer numbers have grown. Kayla implemented a better, more smoothly run volunteer retention and recruitment process. A monthly newsletter has been implemented for all volunteers, which includes volunteer acknowledgement and links to support our volunteers better. Rolling out next year will also be a refined Code of Conduct for all volunteers and participants.

Retention of all our sponsors

We were delighted to have retained all 3 of our sponsors for the 2022-23 financial year. Blooming Minds, ABS Institute of Management and LevelUp, were quite happy to extend their support to us on a financial basis. Their contributions alleviate any need for Activate to fundraise to finance the 300+ activities we run in the community. This allows us to provide complete concentration to running an effective organisation and achieving the best outcomes for our volunteers.

We also like to thank the managing committee MyLocalMind Inc, who provided a significant contribution to Activate Mental Health to assist with the process of becoming a not-for-profit organisation.

Rotary club presentation and donation

In February of this year, Rahul did a presentation about Activate Mental Health to the Rotary Clubs of Victoria Park and South Perth. Rahul showed the story of Activate, the impact it has in the community and the journey to become a not-for-profit organisation.?

The Rotary Club of Victoria Park were delighted to support us with a $1,000 donation to aid our ability to become a not-for-profit organisation.

Website upgrade

In the middle of the year, we put an ad on Volunteering WA for someone to do some remote volunteer work on our general website www.activatemh.com.au. We had Pradeepa from Sydney who answered the call. Pradeepa improved the general aesthetics of the website, as well as providing an event volunteer guide and application form, a testimonial page & a code of conduct for our members. We’re so thankful for her work!

The impact felt by our volunteers

The impact of Activate Mental Health has been greatly positive to our volunteers in 2022. Our volunteers have decided to work alongside Activate Mental Health as they are looking to give back to the community, and provide support to our member’s social wellbeing. “I became a volunteer for Activate Mental Health because I believed in the goal AMH was working toward and is now surpassing” states Anifa, one of our outstanding volunteers.

Our volunteers have stated that working with Activate Mental Health have opened opportunities for themselves, and allowed them to network with some amazing, inspirational people in the community. Volunteers have been granted the opportunity to build up their professional portfolios, and attend award ceremonies. Furthermore, they have discovered aspects of themselves they didn’t know existed, such as their capabilities, strengths, and resilience.?

In 2023, our volunteers aspire to continue their journey with Activate Mental Health, with some stating they would like to create new events to host. Additionally, they are looking to continue their contribution to creating a friendly, welcoming environment that will uplift our members.

The impact felt by our members

Like our volunteers, the impact of Activate Mental Health has been considerably positive to our members in 2022. Our members have joined Activate Mental Health to avoid isolating themselves, and bettering their mental wellbeing. Thanks to our exceptional volunteers, many of our members have reported their overall mental health has drastically improved. “Joining the group gave me new places to go, people to talk to, and a purpose to get up and out” says Debbie, one of our enthusiastic members who enjoys the walks around Hyde Park.

In 2023, Activate Mental Health looks to continue to bring people together. Many members have stated that they are considering becoming a volunteer and giving back to our organisation in the new year.

In closing?

Thank you to all our members, volunteers and stakeholders who engaged our group over 2022. It’s a joy and pleasure to serve you all and make a difference in your lives!