OCD AWARENESS WEEK 12-18 OCTOBER 2025

OCD Awareness Week (#OCDweek) is a worldwide event that serves to dispel myths about obsessive compulsive disorder, break the stigma around mental illness, and provide education about the disorder and how to support those affected. For the over 200 million people worldwide living with OCD, public misconception can prevent them from accessing the timely, effective treatment they need to move from suffering to thriving. This #OCDweek, whether you share facts, tell your own story, or otherwise support OCD Awareness Week, you are making a powerful difference.

Get Involve :

  • Educate Yourself
  • Access Resources
  • Spread the word with the media

For more information,visit :https://iocdf.org/programs/ocdweek

NATIONAL CARERS WEEK-OCTOBER 12-18 2025

Let’s raise awareness and support for unpaid carers across Australia. National Carers Week is a time to recognise, celebrate and raise awareness about 3 million Australians who provide care to a family member or friend.

Carers are people who provide unpaid care and support to family members and friends who have a disability, mental health condition, chronic condition, terminal illness, an alcohol or other drug issue or who are frail aged. Anyone can become a carer, at any time.

National Carers Week is an opportunity to raise community awareness among all Australians about the diversity of carers and their caring roles.

National Carers Week is an initiative of Carers Australia, funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, and coordinated with the assistance and participation of the National Carer Network.

For More Information please click on the following link: https://carersweek.com.au/

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH-OCTOBER 2025

OUR VISION: ZERO DEATHS FROM BREAST CANCER

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and an important time for NBCF to highlight why research in this area is so crucial. Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia, with 9 people losing their lives to the disease every day.

Every year over 21,000 people in Australia (including around 200 men) will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

Every day 58 people in Australia will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

Every year over 3,300 people in Australia (including 33 men) will die from breast cancer. That’s someone’s mother, sister, friend or family member whose life has been tragically cut short because of the disease.

Get involved by this october :

  • Raisingawareness on social media and family
  • Volunteer an event for the cause
  • donating to the foundation

For more information, visit:https://nbcf.org.au/fundraise/breast-cancer-awareness-month/

WORLD CEREBRAL PALSY DAY -OCTOBER 6 2025

World Cerebral Palsy Day is observed annually on October 6th. It’s a day to celebrate, raise awareness, and advocate for people with cerebral palsy (CP), the most common physical disability in childhood. The day aims to ensure that people with CP have the same rights, access, and opportunities as everyone else. 

There are more than 17 million people across the world living with cerebral palsy. Another 350 million people are closely connected to a child or adult with cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy is a physical disability that affects movement and posture. Many people with cerebral palsy have other related vision, hearing, communication and mobility needs. Its impact can range from a weakness in one hand, to almost a complete lack of voluntary movement.

It is a complex disability:

  • 1 in 4 children with cerebral palsy cannot talk
  • 1 in 4 cannot walk
  • 1 in 2 have an intellectual disability
  • 1 in 4 have epilepsy.

Get involved by :

  • Raising awareness on social media
  • Educating the community
  • Donating to the foundation

For more information, visit:https://worldcpday.org/

MENTAL HEALTH MONTH -OCTOBER 2025

Mental Health Month is celebrated each year in the month of October in NSW. This month encourages all of us to think about our mental health and wellbeing, regardless of whether we may have a lived experience of mental illness or not.

Mental Health Month 2025 Theme

“Taking Steps on Your Wellbeing Journey”

This year’s theme, “Taking Steps on Your Wellbeing Journey,” is all about celebrating steps that we take towards improving our mental health and wellbeing. The theme encourages us to embrace progress, growth, and ongoing self-improvement, while reminding us that wellbeing is not a final destination but a continuous journey.

There will be times when we feel stuck, overwhelmed, or unmotivated—and that’s okay. Steps such as reaching out to someone or pausing for a moment, can help us move forward, even when progress feels slow. Our goal is to support individuals in identifying steps to improve their mental health and wellbeing while recognising that the path isn’t always straightforward. This year encourages help-seeking behaviours and fosters a supportive environment where people feel empowered to ask for help, understanding that setbacks are a natural part of the journey and can lead to greater compassion and strength.

Please click on the link for more informtion: https://wayahead.org.au/mentalhealthmonth/about-us/

World Heart Day-September 29th

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the world’s number one killer. Combined, conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels – such as heart attack, stroke and heart failure – kill more than 20.5 million every year. The majority of these deaths happen in low- and middle-income countries.

We want to bring this number down – way down. And there’s hope: 80% of premature deaths from CVD are preventable. By making small changes to our lifestyle – what we eat and drink, how much we exercise, and how we manage stress – we can better manage our heart health and beat CVD.

Please click on the following link for more information

https://world-heart-federation.org/world-heart-day/about-whd/

World Suicide Prevention Day- 10th September

More than 720 000 people die by suicide every year. For each suicide, there are an estimated 20 suicide attempts.
Suicide can occur at any stage of life and in all regions of the world. In 2021, suicide was the third leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds globally, and 73% of all suicides happened in low- and middle-income countries. Almost 20% of global suicides were due to pesticide self-poisoning.

While the link between suicide and mental health conditions (in particular, depression and alcohol use disorders) and a previous suicide attempt is well established in high-income countries, many suicides happen impulsively in moments of crisis. Further risk factors for suicide include experience of loss, loneliness, discrimination, relationship dispute, financial problems, chronic pain and illness, violence, abuse, and conflict or other humanitarian emergencies.

Suicides and suicide attempts have a ripple effect that impacts on families, friends, colleagues, communities and societies.

World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) is organised by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP). WHO has been co-sponsor of the day. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness around the globe that suicide can be prevented.

Please click on the following link for more information https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-suicide-prevention-day

Asthma Week -September 1st

Asthma Week is Asthma Australia’s annual awareness-raising activity held on 1 – 7 September each year, for the more than 2.8 million people with asthma in Australia.

Asthma is a serious condition that leads to the deaths of around 400 Australians each year. But, in many cases, asthma is also a manageable condition, and people can live a full and uninhibited life unhindered by its symptoms.

Asthma affects people of all ages, from childhood to adulthood, and it can appear at all ages and stages of life. Just because you don’t have symptoms, it doesn’t mean the asthma is gone. The symptoms of asthma include wheezing, breathlessness, shortness of breath, coughing and chest tightness. This is because the airways are narrowed temporarily.

Please Click here for more information

https://asthma.org.au/get-involved/events/asthma-week/

International Overdose Awareness Day-August 31

International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) – held on 31 August every year – is the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose.

There is an international crisis of drug overdose. Over the last twenty years drug overdose deaths have increased significantly in many parts of the world. Each year a record number of deaths are reported, predominantly driven by the misuse of opioids, often in combination with other drugs including benzodiazepines, stimulants and alcohol.

Please click on the following Link

https://www.overdoseday.com/

Bullying No Way Week 11–15 August 2025

Bullying No Way Week is Australia’s key bullying prevention initiative for schools. It provides an opportunity for schools to create a shared understanding about bullying behaviours and share their bullying prevention policies and strategies.

The national week of action unites government, Catholic and independent schools and their communities across the country. Together, we can foster practical approaches to prevent bullying in Australian schools.

Please click on this link for more information https://bullyingnoway.gov.au/preventing-bullying/national-week-of-action