Listen Up: Giving voice to rural Victorians

Rural community members have powerful, personal and inspiring stories, but rarely an opportunity to tell them. We will invite people from across rural Victoria who have managed health, wellbeing and safety challenges (e.g. physical and mental illness, accidents, natural disaster) to tell their story using an engaging digital format. These digital stories will share personal insights—highlight turning points in life and learning from experience. Stories will be shared via social media, websites and face-to-face community education. This will grow knowledge and understanding in all Victorians, and inspire positive health and safety behaviours and the prioritisation of personal wellbeing.

What's it like to live with mental illness in a rural area? Experience a life-changing accident? Live through a bushfire? Care for a loved one with a disability? Telling your story will help us learn and grow from your experience. These powerful, personal stories will be shared in innovative and broad-reaching ways to increase understanding, change unhelpful attitudes and inspire pathways to action for rural Victorians. Help us to promote positive health messaging, challenge myths, reduce stigma and inspire our rural communities to improve their health, wellbeing and safety.