THE Swan Rotary club is running the Lift the Lid Walk for Mental Health to raise funds for Australia Rotary Health on Sunday, November 19.

The walk will be held at Reg Bond Reserve in Viveash, located on the banks of the Swan River, and is set to start at 9am with the goal distance of 5km for attendees but shorter distances are available too. A coffee van and sausage sizzle will also be available.

Tickets and registration for the event can be found online at Eventbrite, children 15-years-old and under can walk for free, $30 for an adult ticket.

The inaugural Lift the Lid Walk for Mental Health was held in Mooloolaba, Queensland, back in 2016 and has been running since.

Last year Rotary clubs from across the country followed suit and began hosting the event in a national series, which has raised over $250,000 so far.

Mental health advocate and former president of the Mooloolaba Rotary Club Vicki Stewart organised the original walk to raise funds for mental illness research and the vital role it plays in understanding and treating complex mental health issues.

“The fundraising is vital, however it is not all about the money. We do need that for the research, but at this point in time it is so much more important to have the conversation and break down the social stigma of mental health,” she said.

The point of difference to other fundraisers is the walk and talk format is deliberately not a race, but an opportunity to get together to raise awareness of the serious mental health issues faced in communities, schools, homes and workplaces.