Norco raised $87,913 for the Black Dog Institute through a campaign with Coles, which saw five cents from every Norco two litre milk sold in March and April donated to the institute.
Norco partnered with Black Dog Institute on the initiative which saw special labels on Norco’s high volume 2L full cream and lite milk, featuring a QR code that link directly to evidence- based online mental health tools, provided by the Black Dog Institute, including a free personal assessment tool and self-help program for people experiencing mild to moderate depression, anxiety and stress.
Spearheaded by Norco, its partnership with Black Dog Institute was immediately 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.
Black Dog Institute chief scientist professor Samuel Harvey said there was a clear need for better access to mental health support and the need was 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.
“We are beyond grateful for partners like Norco who want to help and show their support in any way they can. We will be putting Norco’s much needed funding to immediate use including an Adult Wellbeing Program research project; and a digital therapy treatment model application to be used alongside traditional face-to-face methods of mental health support,” Harvey said.
Norco general manager of commercial and strategy Ben Menzies said it was ‘fantastic’ to see so many committed consumers supporting the cause.
“Thank you to all our loyal customers who chose our dairy milk and generously donated to this very important cause that hopes to help address the issue of mental health in regional communities.
“Being a 100 per cent 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,” 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.
