Over Term 1, Mercedes’ Knitting Club have been working on an exciting mental health initiative. The club decided to put their talents to work by participating in the Blue Tree Project, raising awareness around mental health, and destigmatising difficult conversations about the topic.
The Blue Tree Project aims to spark conversations about mental health, spreading the message that “it’s OK to not be OK” and encouraging people to seek support when battling mental health concerns. Over 750 trees across Australia have been painted blue with the help of community events and organisers, especially in regional and rural Australia.
Year 12 students Mairead, Imogen and Evie kick-started this fantastic initiative and put a twist on the project by knitting a tree blue rather than painting it. Usually, the trees chosen for the Blue Tree Project are dead to prevent harm to the environment. Our Knitting Club instead spent several weeks creating a blue coat to cover the trunk of the (very much alive) tree at the centre of Catherine’s Garden.
Club members knitted individual squares, before stitching them together to match the tree’s shape. Finally, they added decorative buttons, bees and birds, and the central message of “R U OK?”. In the central area of Catherine’s Garden, it will serve as a reminder to students and visitors that it’s okay to share their problems and ask for help when they need it.
“It has been joyful seeing the students knitting and crocheting together to create such a beautiful coat for the tree,” said Principal Kerrie Fraser, “reminding us to care for one another and promote wellbeing in our school.”
