UNTIL the end of this month, 50 cents from the sale of every large coffee at the New Norfolk Banjo’s Bakery Cafe will be donated to mental health charity Speak Up! Stay Chatty. While the donation pledge is being made by all of Banjo’s Tasmanian stores, there is a special link with New Norfolk.
“Seven years ago, I ran around Tasmania as a fundraiser and I stopped here in Robbie Iles’ store,” Speak Up! Stay Chatty founder Mitch McPherson told New Norfolk and Derwent Valley News. “The support we received from Robbie and Banjo’s New Norfolk grew into a statewide initiative,” Mr McPherson said.
For the sixth year, Banjo’s stores will help to raise awareness of mental health by donating 50 cents from the sale of every large coffee to the cause. This year, Banjo’s aims to raise more than $35,000 from coffee-loving Tasmanians, up from $32,000 raised last year.
Funds raised will go towards Stay Chatty’s focus on education and awareness of the benefits of using open conversation and connection to help improve mental health. Mr McPherson said the partnership with Banjo’s New Norfolk and the rest of the group had contributed a great deal to positive mental health awareness.
He said this year’s campaign had been delayed by COVID-19, and the pandemic had affected the mental health of many. “It’s more important than ever to stay chatty,” he said. We encourage you to take the time to grab a coffee, sit down and have a conversation with someone that you care about,” he said.
Founded by Mr McPherson in 2013, Speak Up! Stay Chatty works to promote positive mental health and prevent suicide by normalising conversations about mental health and encouraging people to seek help when they need it. Robbie and Anita Iles have been with Banjo’s New Norfolk for 10 years and have owned the franchise for 18 months. Click here for more information about the campaign.
One Comment
w0w fan*TAS*tic story, ’cause folk that know me would know how much fun I have with ta*SEE*MaNiA & TripBe ‘BaBy bOoMeR BeCoMiNg Elderly eTc., EcT.
So here’s the thing… when reaching back into stuff in my head, ‘chatTY’ came into the front part of my head around these words. There are times in my own recovery when ‘stinking thinking’ kicks in. It’s always a good thing to talk about stuff. I truly love the school program IDEA associated with ‘chatTY’.
Mitch McPherson established the organisation in 2013 after his younger brother Ty died by suicide. Mitch shares his personal story of loss to encourage others to speak up and seek help when they have issues or go through difficult times.