Nurch donates 2% of points spent to support mental illness
This October is Mental Health Month. The team at Nurch Childcare Loyalty Rewards, is participating in the One Foot Forward initiative, vowing to donate 2% of all points spent throughout the month in a bid to raise $3000 to support Australian’s living with mental illness.
Founders Brent Thompson, Glenn Noy and Kara Smyth along with three of their staff members have pledged to walk 400km’s in a team effort to walk in solidarity with a community of 34,828 people to support Australians living with mental illness. The Nurch team is participating in the challenge, One Foot Forward, organised by the Black Dog Institute which runs throughout October – Mental Health Month. On the 1st of November, 2% of the dollar value of the points redeemed by Nurch members will be donated to our fundraiser page, the Nurch team.
More than 5 million Australians live with some form of mental illness, the most common are anxiety and depression; less than half experiencing symptoms of mental illness will not seek professional help and often with tragic consequences.
Recently, Kara Smyth, cofounder at Nurch, has lost a good friend to the terrible and tragic illness.
“This is a particularly sensitive and personal cause close to my heart”, says Kara, “two months ago, I lost one of my best friends to suicide. It was a shocking blow for everyone because we all knew her as a happy, upbeat and fiercely independent beautiful woman who was on her way to achieving all of her dreams. The implications of Covid were particularly hard for her. Her income was impacted, she wasn’t able to visit family or travel. It was a tough year but nobody imagined it would lead to suicide. Being a part of this initiative not only helps to raise money towards an illness that needs desperate attention but allows me time to reflect on the great times I spent with Sylvia”.
Sadly, 1 in 5 people experience symptoms of mental illness each year. In fact, every day in Australia, 8 people will die by suicide. Suicide is the leading cause of death in people in Australia aged 15-44 years.
Funds raised from One Foot Forward will go towards supporting research into early detection, prevention and treatment of mental health disorders, as well as funding vital support services for those most at risk.
To help support Nurch Childcare Loyalty Rewards reach their $3000 target donate or share our page at https://www.onefootforward.org.au/fundraisers/nurchchildcareloyaltyrewards
About Nurch Childcare Loyalty Rewards
Created in 2019, Nurch is Australia’s first and only childcare loyalty rewards program. Founded by Glenn Noy, Brent Thompson and Kara Smyth the trio have over 15 years experience in the childcare sector. Nurch is implemented by childcare centres and is free for families to participate. The innovative program creates a consistent learning environment for families while increasing centre retention.
In June, 2021, Nurch, won the Queensland State Childcare Services & Supplies award at the Australian Achiever Award – and was also highly commended in the Computer Systems, Software & Internet Services category. Further, the young start-up has been named a finalist in the Australian Small Business Champion Awards, Specialised Small Business category, and AusMumpreneur Digital Innovation category and People’s Choice – Product award.
To find out more about One Foot Forward visit https://www.onefootforward.org.au
For more information or to arrange an interview with Kara or the team, contact Kiera Elliot-Pickett, kiera@strongdigitalmarketing.com.au 0470 288 995.
