Whanganui mental health awareness concert organisers aim to ...

Whanganui residents came out to dance and enjoy the mental health awareness concert at Majestic Square. Photo / Eva de Jong

The community was treated to a free jam session at Majestic Square by Whanganui musicians to advocate for mental health awareness.

Balance Aotearoa - a mental health and addiction service - put on the concert for a crowd of happy onlookers yesterday ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week.

Balance peer support worker Jamie Rickards said music was “a great healer for people”.

“Music puts a smile on everybody’s face and I’ve seen a lot of happy people.

“Our lovely, talented musicians have come down to entertain us and it’s just a great way to get the community together.”

Heti & Hope drummer Sara Fredrickson said the vibe at the Majestic Square concert had been chill and relaxed.

She said the wait times for mental health services were “ridiculous”.

“I know people who have rung up for help and it’s taken three months to get an appointment.”

The Replicants musician David Griffiths said he hoped Mental Health Awareness Week would give people permission to talk about their own mental health.

“Seeing other people talking about it helps to break down any taboos about speaking up - and there shouldn’t be any as everyone at some point of their lives will go through this.

“It’s really healthy to talk about it and a lot of love will come your way if you do.”

Fredrickson said music got people off their devices and gave them time away from the internet.

“You can focus on something completely different.”

Rickards said she hoped the concert would draw people in to look at the stalls advertising mental health services.

“We all know someone or we ourselves have suffered in some way from unwellness when it comes to mental health.”

She said there was a lack of education in Whanganui about mental health, and families needed more mental health support and free resources.

“We need to know how to support people more before they end up at the hospital or super unwell.

“We’ve lost a little bit of connection to our people and our whenua, and music is one way we can come back together.”

New Zealand’s Mental Health Awareness Week is from September 18-24.

Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.