Shining a Light on Mental Health

On March 3rd, John Spicer's Mechanical Repairs will present ‘Opening the Conversation with Swanee’, this gourmet BBQ, interactive Q&A and live auction is designed to help remove stigma associated with mental health, mental illness and addiction, by sharing stories and normalising the conversation.

Organisers are encouraging the public to come along and take the time to listen to the wise words, and raw and powerful stories about mental health battles by guest speakers- rock legend, John ‘Swanee’ Swan, and ‘I Am Worth More’ founder, Luke McLean.

Learne Spicer said, “It’s important for people to realise that it can happen to you at any stage and a lot of the time for no apparent reason. In hosting this event we hope to continue to lower the stigma attached. Also, to help people realise that it doesn't matter where you come from i.e. race, status and wealth, this is non-discriminatory space. We need this type of organisation to help bring awareness and hopefully help build resilience in individuals.”

Swanee will be sharing his battles with addiction and mental illness and what has allowed him to move forward with his life. Luke McLean will also share his own struggles with gambling addiction, depression, anxiety and the lowest moments that almost ended his life. He will share the strategies he used to manage and improve his mental health issues and explain what motivates him now.

The event is set to begin at 12pm at the Highland Heritage Estate, with the added bonus of kicking back, listening to old school tracks as Swanee performs live. Don’t miss your chance to attend this one-off event in Orange, for more information or to get tickets visit, EventBrite (Opening the Conversation with Swanee).