Sydney Markets 40th Cherry Auction

Join the Sydney Markets Foundation and the Markets’ community as we raise money for the Black Dog Institute® to show support for our NSW growers as they navigate the ongoing ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, bushfires, drought, mouse plagues and floods.

How will my donation be used?

To overcome barriers to access mental health services in rural and remote areas, the Sydney Markets Foundation proudly supports the Black Dog Institute in developing a new care program for adults living with depression and anxiety called the Adult Wellbeing Program.

The Adult Wellbeing Program combines the best digital technologies with face-to-face, phone or tele-health therapy for NSW growers and members of regional communities. In collaboration with 400 patients and 200 health practitioners, the program is integrated into clinical practices with trained health professionals to achieve the best outcome for participants.

More specifically, the program:

1. Personalised to individual needs, goals, concerns, and treatment history

2. Free, easy to use, and accessible

3. Provides evidence-based information, advice, tips, and skills to manage depression and anxiety

4. Incorporates relatable advice, tips, and recovery stories from people with lived experience

5. Designed to be integrated into psychological therapy settings to enhance the quality of care provided to patients, simplify and streamline how the treatment is provided.

Funding from the Sydney Markets Foundation will enable:

• Consultation between the Black Dog Institute and the Sydney Markets community to further refine the program and service to meet the end-user's needs.

• Recruitment of a designated clinical psychologist to design the training program and consult with psychologists in rural and regional NSW about their training needs.

• Co-design of the training program with psychologists.

• Increased training for clinicians on how to deliver evidence-based therapy to patients.

• Design and pilot test the clinician training program before larger-scale roll-out in NSW.

Who will directly benefit?

The Adult Wellbeing Program can help individuals learn how to manage stress, including financial strain and the additional pressures occurring in family life and relationships, providing practical tools to manage anxiety and depression. The Sydney Market Foundation, Freshmark and Sydney Markets support this initiative, providing much needed mental health services to those individuals of the Sydney Markets community living and working in NSW growing regions.

The 40th Cherry Auction

Pending current lockdown restrictions, on 24 November 2021, the 40th Cherry Auction will be held at Sydney Markets, Flemington, where the largest donor will be revealed, and the Cherry Crown will be awarded to the largest donor.

A curated Donations Leadership Board will be featured on the Sydney Markets’ social media pages and the digital billboards across Sydney Markets’ Flemington site as a way to recognise the generous donors in our community leading up to the main event.

The Sydney Markets Foundation is working closely with the Black Dog Institute to ensure the funds positively impact the communities in our growing regions.

Thanks in advance for your contribution to this incredibly important cause.

About The Black Dog Institute

One in five Australians experience symptoms of mental illness in any given year, equating to approximately five million people.

As the only medical research institute in Australia to investigate mental health across the lifespan, the Black Dog Institute aims to create a mentally healthier world for everyone. Their teams achieve this through ‘translational’ research, integrating their research studies, education programs, digital tools and apps, clinical services, and public resources to discover new solutions, foster connections and create real-world change.

The Black Dog Institute forms meaningful partnerships with federal, state and local governments, communities, schools, corporate Australia and others in the mental health sector, enabling evidence-informed change in mental health where it’s needed most.

About the Sydney Markets Foundation

The Sydney Markets Foundation has been providing relief for communities in the horticulture sector in NSW since 2010. These include relief from poverty, distress, the effects of sickness, unemployment and financial hardship for people associated with the fresh produce industry, the Sydney Markets community and members of the general public. Help for Today – Hope for Tomorrow