Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This Saturday I will be joining members of my community in Hope Walk Hawkesbury. Suicide Prevention and Support Network Western Sydney is holding the Hope Walk to raise awareness about suicide and to help break the silence that can surround it. This is the first official event to be held in the Hawkesbury but builds on the small walk organised by Richmond resident Diane Russell last year, which I attended. Diane was seeking a support group following the tragic loss of her son, Jason, to suicide in 2015. I have such admiration for women who, having had a crisis, do everything they can to spare others from similar trauma. It's through Diane's persistent advocacy and concern for others that she's become the Hawkesbury coordinator for Suicide Prevention and Support Network Western Sydney, which covers not only the Hawkesbury but also Penrith and the Blue Mountains. The walk on Saturday begins at 9.15, leaving from the Richmond tennis courts on Windsor Street, Richmond, and finishing at the Hawkesbury Visitor Information Centre, Clarendon, opposite the RAAF base. All community members are welcome to attend. Be part of it. Come to the beginning or come to the end. Be there to show your support. The Hope Walk is such a positive way to show support for those who've lost a loved one to suicide and to support those in our community who are trying to change things.