Students from Mercedes College 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 during term one, a campaign dedicated to 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 speak up and seek support when battling mental health concerns.
More than 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 the 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.
Instead, the Knitting Club spent several weeks creating a blue coat to cover the trunk of a very much alive tree at the centre of Catherine’s Garden.
Club members knitted individual squares, which were stitched together to match the tree’s shape, as well as 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 Kerry Fraser “reminding us to care for one another and promote wellbeing in our school.”
