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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
National
Ethan Hamilton

Survivors R Us: vital funding provides training for mental health support

Volunteers: Ann-Maria Martin and her team at Survivors R Us are benefitting from a much needed IMB Bank Community Foundation grant to help with suicide precention. Picture: Supplied

A CARDIFF based not-for-profitwill continue providing mental health support to the region thanks to recent funding from IMB Bank.

Survivors R Us was founded in 2017 by Ann-Maria Martin to support survivors of domestic violence.

"We are a centre for people to get free counselling, support, clothing and anything them might need to get by," Ms Martin said.

As a survivor of domestic violence, Ms Martin said the group stemmed from her realisation that "the support just wasn't there".

"We now help homeless people and just about anyone who needs that extra bit of support," she said.

"We retrain people to get back into the workforce, to give them confidence and to teach them basic life skills that many of these people may not have had access to."

As a volunteer organisation devastated by the mental health effects of COVID-19, Ms Martin said a recent $15,000 grant from the IMB Bank Community Foundation couldn't have come at a better time.

"Suicide rates have increased dramatically during the pandemic and sadly we lost one of our beautiful staff members to suicide last year" Ms Martin said.

"It got to a stage where our staff though it might be too hard to continue.

"This money will go towards suicide prevention training and give us the skills and resources to help people who are suffering."

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