MORE than 300 people filled Singleton Civic Centre earlier this year for Ravensworth’s first charity ball.
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Ravensworth Open Cut Environment and Community Coordinator Laura Barben said the company’s hope was to raise money and raise awareness for mental health in the local area – covering the Lower and Upper Hunter communities.
“We partnered with Lifeline Hunter Central Coast for the Lower Hunter area, and then Where There’s a Will for the Upper Hunter,” she said.
“We ended up raising a total of $50,000 which is really awesome.
“We had a heap of charity auctions on the night, and it was sort of a country ball theme, so it kind of suited the atmosphere as well.”
The two charities received $25,000 each from the total money raised.
“Ravensworth was the major sponsor for the event, and we organised it here onsite,” Ms Barben said.
“It really just came down to people – contractors and employees from Ravensworth – digging deep into their pockets to help the cause.
“I put it out to the entire Glencore business in the Hunter Valley and we did have attendees from other mine sites as well.”
Ms Barben said mental health was a prominent issue currently, not just in the mining industry, but the whole community.
“We really wanted to just step up and do something.
“Instead of doing something for physical, do something for mental health.”
Where There’s a Will executive officer Andrea Burns said to have support from the ball, on top of existing projects, was “unbelievable”.
“But, not only that, just to have 300 people in a room all talking about their mental health and knowing that it’s okay to talk about it, and that the awareness is increasing out there,” she said.
Lifeline Hunter Central Coast manager marketing and events Vanessa Swilks said lifeline stated the issue as Australia’s national emergency.
Ms Barben would like to thank the night’s sponsors – Betts Bower, Bridgestone Earthmover Tyres, Workpac Group, Promine, Westrac, Fuchs, Austin Engineering, Freo Cranes, TM Earthmoving, Total Fire, Hexagon Mining.