Leisure Program

The Leisure Program gives participants the opportunity to play sport, participate in social groups and make healthy food choices as a pathway to improved mental health. It also offers participants places to go in Belconnen and Tuggeranong where they can socialise without being judged for having a mental illness.

The following testimonials are from LP participants:

"I love the LP because the people are really wonderful. Since coming here I’ve realised there are decent people in the world after all. They are not all bad. It is true that the LP people are generally unwell people, but they are a very decent and lovely bunch. I get on very well with them, and I love to socialise, and for the first time in my life I have found friends, both male and female. It helps me with my wellbeing, keeps me on my toes, out of mischief. I have support here with people I meet. Like for example when I say I have no family in Canberra, some people say I can ring them up on the weekends if I have any problems. One of my favourite activities is the conversation group because it is friendly and we have so much fun and laughter"
Marcus Chin

"I've been coming to the chess and scrabble group for 4 to 5 years. I live alone, and I find the companionship very helpful, as it takes me out of myself. I also enjoy the chess and the scrabble for their own sake. I find these games intellectually stimulating"
Alan Dorahy

"With the tennis group I guess I like the variety of people that come, along with the sense of humour that they bring. Also we can place our worries to the side and forget our problems. Our friendships improve along with our game, and this re-activates our smiling muscles. This is a huge stress release"
Chris Benson

"I like to go to Kosciuszko because we can get up into the mountains like normal people get away for holidays but with the LP I feel safe because we have people there to keep everything calm. We have fun travelling together on the bus, and we get good healthy food, eat together with lots of people and get to walk around and relax. All these things build me up to want to keep on living, which is what some people call mental health"
Margaret McEvoy