UHCS has some great opportunities during the month for everyone to learn about mental health and take action to improve mental health and wellbeing.  

There is still a lot of stigma surrounding mental health and we encourage the community to get involved in conversations about mental health so that we can learn and grow.

Keep an eye on the UHCS Facebook page and website for details on how you can be involved.

Upper Hunter Community Services was recently named as a finalist in Community Excellence Award Section of the NSW Minerals Council for its work on the Community Capacity Building Project funded by BHP Billiton Mt Arthur Coal. 

The Community Capacity Building (CCB) project started in 2013 with Cindy Milton as the senior community development officer, managing the CCB project, neighbourhood services, Hunter Park Family Centre and the Youth Development Project. 

Key outcomes of the project since 2013 have included improved collaboration between service providers, community organisations and increased capacity within a number of community groups.  

The CCB team was assisted by other UHCS Inc. funded programs. 

Some of the successful outcomes of the project to date include annual events such as the October Mental Health Month, Picnic in the Park, Harmony Day, Cinema Under the Stars, assisted development of UHCS Inc. auspiced Red Door Community Kitchen, formation of community groups such as the GROW mental health support group within the Upper Hunter region and development of community resources. 

Information on these resources can be found at www.uhcs.org.au

Upper Hunter Community Services encourages professional development for all staff and, on completion of studies in Counselling and Community Services Management, Cindy has moved onto future projects in her career plan.

We thank Cindy for her work within the CCB project and look forward to continued success of the initiative.