Two local businesses, Stationery Essentials and Gumnuts Gifts & Homewares, are getting behind Batyr with their ‘One Sock Wednesday’ Cobar campaign.
Stationery Essentials’ manager Wendy Robinson said all money raised in Cobar for Batyr, a social enterprise that focuses on preventative education in the area of young people’s mental health, will come back to town to support local youth.
Staff at both Stationery Essentials and Gumnuts Gifts & Homewares will be wearing one sock on Wednesday once a month and hope other businesses in town will get on board.
Batyr aims to engage, educate and empower young people to speak out about mental health issues by fostering an environment talking about these issues and getting help is not only accepted, but is encouraged and supported.
The Cobar businesses have taken on Batyr’s ‘One Sock, One Goal’ slogan that symbolises a willingness for young people to encourage their peers to reach out for help when they need it and helps decrease the stigma surrounding mental ill health, and given it their own twist with ‘One Sock Wednesday’.
By wearing just one sock, the staff hope that people will notice and ask why just one sock.
It then gives them the opportunity to talk about the work that the Batyr organisation does.
Wendy recently visited the Batyr head office in Sydney and met with Batyr’s school program coordinator Dominic Green.
Dom said he is amazed by the Cobar community spirit Cobar the level of support that Batyr has received from Cobar.
“By wearing the socks you will be contributing to a movement of young people who are creating positive conversations around mental ill health and wellbeing,” Wendy said.
