Irene set to host fifth You Matter Walk
The community initiative was born from personal experiences of suicide loss and continues to create space for conversations, connection and support around mental health.
The You Matter Walk will return to Irene in September for its fifth annual walk, bringing together an expected 1 000 people in a collective show of support for mental health and suicide awareness.
The walk will take place on September 12, from 07:00 until noon at The Big Red Barn, where participants will walk in support of people affected by mental health challenges and in remembrance of lives lost to suicide.
Now in its fifth year, the initiative continues to focus on something that can often be difficult to confront openly: conversations about emotional pain, mental health, and suicide.
The walk was founded by three women, Christia Uys, Ilse Meiring and Carla de Jager, whose own lives have been affected by suicide.
Their experiences helped shape an initiative centred on reminding people that they matter, while encouraging communities to speak more openly about mental health and support one another.
For the organisers, the significance of the walk extends beyond the physical act of walking. It is intended to create an environment where people can connect, share experiences, and find hope while helping break the stigma that continues to surround mental health and suicide.
The event is supported by several mental health organisations and stakeholders, including the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), Lifeline, Vista Clinic and Mediclinic.
Qualified counsellors will also walk alongside participants, providing emotional support and guidance throughout the event.
SADAG Operations Director Cassey Chambers encouraged people to view the initiative as an opportunity to connect and start conversations that could otherwise remain unspoken.
“No one should have to face emotional pain alone. Events like the You Matter Walk create opportunities for people to connect, start conversations about mental health, and remind those who may be struggling that help is available and that there is hope,” said Chambers.
The organisers are also encouraging businesses, community organisations, colleagues and friends to participate, with opportunities available for sponsorships, financial contributions and donations towards event goody bags and other event requirements.
The initiative has partnered with The Potato Foundation, a registered charity, to facilitate the issuing of tax certificates for eligible donations.
The walk will also feature an outside broadcast by Impact Radio, with live crosses to its main studio for selected interviews.
Participants can bring friendly, leashed dogs, making the event open to both people and their four-legged companions.
Registration for the September walk is already open, as organisers work towards bringing the community together once again around a message that lies at the heart of the initiative: that every person matters.
For the founders, that message is deeply personal and remains the reason behind the walk.
“Our vision is simple but powerful: to transform lives. If this walk helps even one family with the heartache and devastation left behind by suicide, it will have been worth it,” said the founders.
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok or WhatsApp Channel
