Latest Events and News :
Serenity NSW Inc. is planning three major Events for 2011 :
1) Call for National Day of Awareness of the work of Mental Health NGO's :
Sunday March 13th Sydney Square ( next to Town Hall, St Andrews side )
- around Australia if we can get other organisations behind it
Organisations like Serenity have been around for ten, twenty or more years often without government funding and have never been thanked or even recognised by the same people that we held the fort for until they finally got around to doing something about it. It was left for all those years up to carers and volunteers and we believe it is about time that their work was recognised. We need people to make a contribution to the costs of organising this Day, people to turn up on the day as well as organise a party or barbecue in your local area, let the local and large media know about it, and write to your local, State and Federal politicians to let them know that they should recognise this work. Contact us if you can help in any way and let people who have done work in your local area know that you do appreciate the sacrifice that they have made in donating their time to set up these organisations.
2) The 12th annual 'Anxiety Disorders Awareness Project' launched on July 1st as always and this year focusing on the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977
Would you believe that the Act does not protect people with Disablilities from Discrimination?
I recently sent every politician in NSW a copy of a letter from the Board telling me just that and I recieved only one reply - from a rural Member who simply thanked me for sending it to him We obviously need to wake up our pollies to the real world and do something about this - we have been trying to get Trademarks Law changed as well as names of companies that are discriminatory.
3) The first annual "Southern Sydney Expo" 7- 9th October
Canterbury Parkway - fundraiser for four Mental Health Charities plus a way of highlighting the people, places and products of the Southern Sydney Region - please get the word out
Serenity New South Wales Incorporated is a totally voluntary, unfunded charitable organisation attempting to help the estimated 2 million Australians who suffer with the Anxiety Disorders and /or early Depression. We held our first Self-help Support Group on November 19 1987 so have been around for over 23 years and have assisted thousands of sufferers during that time to find more peace of mind and lose the feeling of isolation that Anxiety and Depression often bring.
At our peak in 2000 we held 20 Support Groups a month in Sydney and 10 in rural areas but due to lack of interest and funding from the State and now the Federal Governments we have never recieved any funding and so have been forced to reduce our services, no longer running Groups but there are other services that we provide as you will see from the list enclosed.
Our office telephone is available every day of the year for people to call for advice about Anxiety and Depression during business hours, there is a recorded information line available 24/7 in English, Spanish, Mandarin and Cantonese 1902 261 534 ( cost $1.05 a minute from anywhere), a Website for families at www.anxietyinfamilies.org.au, as well as selling a range of books, CD's and DVD's on relevant topics for sale at low prices to help people in rural and overseas locations, or for those who cannot get out. This stock is especially chosen for ease of understanding and proven value.
We can organise Workshops on topics such as "Anger Management", "Worry", and the "Seven Skills of Serenity" and often hold these around Sydney so please contact us if interested.
Serenity NSW Incorporated is recognised by the Australian Tax Office as a:
- Public Benevolent Institution
- Deductible Gift Recipient
- Registered for GST
And is an Incorporated Association listed with the New South Wales Department of Fair Trading since 1997. We were founded by Mr Ray Brookes, a sufferer of agoraphobia from the age of three who has overcome it and has won many Awards, including being 'Canterbury Citizen of the Year' for 2008. Ray has worked for some of the largest charities in the world including the Salvos, St Vinnies and the Wesley Mission with homeless people and was a Case Manager with the Australian Red Cross (NSW) Asylum Seekers Assistance Scheme. He has also worked with smaller charities like Headway.
We have just celebrated the 23rd Anniversary of our first Self-help Support Group meeting on November 19th, 1987 in Bankstown library when we were known as the 'Agoraphobic Association' but for some unknown reason have never recieved government funding.
We represent people suffering from the Anxiety Disorders at all levels and fight for improved services and more information about medications and treatments being available to consumers. Please see our ' New Events' page for ways that you could help out.
