Dairy milk drinkers across the country have helped Australian 100% farmer owned dairy co-operative Norco raise $87,913 for Black Dog Institute and the thousands of Australians in regional areas who require mental health support.
The funds were raised through a promotion whereby five cents of every Norco branded white milk purchased at Coles throughout March and April this year were earmarked for donation to Black Dog Institute.
An initiative spearheaded by Norco, the partnership with Black Dog Institute was formed following research that found “close to one in ten farmers felt unsupported through their mental health issues and one in seven could not access mental health services” (‘National Farmer Wellbeing Report 2023’).
Black Dog Institute Chief Scientist Professor Samuel Harvey says there is a clear need for better access to mental health support and it is especially prevalent amongst people living in regional and rural areas of Australia.
“Regional and rural Australians deal with drought, bushfire, floods, and isolation on top of all of life’s other pressures yet access to mental health support is less than a fifth of the rate of people in cities,” Professor Harvey said.
Norco’s General Manager of Commercial and Strategy Ben Menzies says it was fantastic to see so many committed Aussie consumers supporting the backbone of this country.
“Being a 100% farmer-owned co-operative, Norco takes immense pride in its commitment to supporting our farmers, their families and the communities in which they live and work, and it’s incredible to see this enthusiasm extended to our customers who love what our farmers produce.
“Norco is honoured to have been able to support Black Dog Institute and the vital work they do for Australians. With the record number of people needing support, the funds raised is essential and will help strengthen our regional and rural communities,” Mr Menzies said.
The timing of the initiative coincided with the launch of ‘The National Farmer Wellbeing Report’, a “first-of-its-kind” study into farmer mental health, commissioned by Norco and in partnership with the National Farmers’ Federation.