Australian Rotary Health Spring Update 2023

THE UPDATE

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COGNITIVE

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

PDG Kevin Shadbolt OAM

HOLDING the recent board meeting in Adelaide, followed by some interesting weekend activities, was a pleasant and enlightening experience for all involved. Members shared time together and enjoyed each other’s company therefore

enhancing personal relationships and forging stronger ties. It was very different to the Covid period when we sat at home and talked to a screen with no close personal contact. This gave me some understanding of why anxiety is

increasing when personal relationships are supplanted by online communication. Hopefully research will provide answers to this significant problem

Melbourne Convention was an outstanding example of the internationality of Rotary, with 13,000 attendees from approximately 140 countries. The House of Friendship was a feature of the Convention with over 150 Rotary and community projects on display. Australian Rotary Health was placed in an ideal location and over the five days a continual stream of Rotarians visited our stand, almost all the booklets and pamphlets on display were handed out. The stand was a very successful exercise, thank you to Joy who attended each day and to others who assisted.

Prior to the start of Convention representatives of ARH were given the opportunity to meet with RIPE Gordon McInally. We were able to discuss in some detail ARH’s research and scholarship programs.

Districts of Australia

CAPE TO CAPE TRACK IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA

AGEING

LIFT THE LID WALK HIGHLIGHTS

ARH Director DGE Pat Schraven, along with her friends Paula and Helen walked the 130km Cape to Cape Track in the beautiful Southwest of Western Australia.

Australian Rotary Health PhD scholar, Kayla Corney found maintaining a healthy lifestyle with social behaviours and managing both our physical and mental wellbeing, had a direct impact on cognitive health.

The very first walk event that inspired the Lift the Lid Walks was hosted by Vicki Stewart at the Rotary Club of Mooloolaba in 2017 and has since raised over $200k.

He showed genuine interest and congratulated ARH on the work we are doing in the mental health area. I had a further opportunity to discuss our research program in Adelaide a week later when RIPE Gordon was present at a briefing of stakeholders of a Centenary Legacy Project being undertaken by the Rotary Club of Adelaide and ARH. ARH

Tribute Research

THE achievements of Australia Rotary Health have been brought about by the outstanding contributions of many people. These include capable and committed board members, a dedicated staff lead by CEO Joy Gillett, an accomplished Research Committee and excellent researchers who apply for research grants. ARH also enjoys considerable support from Rotary clubs and individual Rotarians around Australia who understand the value of medical research and the huge benefits it can bring. Thank you to all, it has been a privilege to Chair this exceptional Rotary project . ARH

MUCH has happened since the easing of Covid and we are delighted that our Australian Rotary Health research program has regained its momentum. Last year the decision to focus mental health research on the 0–12-year-olds was announced, and the 13 selected projects are now underway covering such areas as sleep disorders, autism, Indigenous support programs, disruptive behaviour and other childhood problems. A further 8 applications are being assessed for commencement next year. Evidence is mounting that appropriate intervention at a young age can prevent mental illness in later years. ARH has entered what we anticipate will be a very interesting research area.

Lift the Lid Walks

SEVEN years ago the Rotary Club of Mooloolaba conducted a walk for mental health. ARH has encouraged other clubs to consider holding a walk and last year 14 such events were held. The walks bring the community together and give people the opportunity to raise awareness of mental illness, they also promote Rotary and ARH as well as raising valuable funds for mental health research. This year 31 clubs are planning to conduct a Walk and a further 26 clubs are considering the possibility. ARH

Adelaide Centenary Dinner

It was a pleasure to attend the weekend of activities in Adelaide in early June. The main event being the Centenary Dinner arranged by D9510 and the Rotary Club of Adelaide attended by 300 Rotarians and partners. It was an impressive event and featured guest speakers Heiu Van Le, former Governor of South Australia, and RIPE Gordon McInally. The dinner also included the launch of the Adelaide club’s Centenary Legacy Project. This project will be managed through ARH’s Funding Partner Program and will involve two Indigenous PhD Scholars tasked with the role of developing a healthcare workforce to focus on chronic disease prevention in Indigenous communities. It is hoped that from this initial research project a much larger emphasis on chronic disease prevention can be developed. ARH

ARH Chair Elect Stephen Humphreys, ARH CEO Joy Gillett OAM, RI President Gordon McInally, ARH Chair Kevin Shadbolt OAM.

Lift the Lid Walk Highlights

SINCE 2020, we have raised over $200,000 for mental health research!

The very first walk event that inspired the Lift the Lid Walks was hosted by Vicki Stewart at the Rotary Club of Mooloolaba in 2017. Ever since then, Vicki’s idea has expanded to more Rotary Clubs across Australia.

The walk and talk format is deliberately not a race, but gives an opportunity for locals to get together and raise awareness of the serious mental health issues we all face. With 1 in 5 Australians suffering a mental health disorder, we use these walk events to break down the stigma and make it easier to seek support for mental health concerns.

Together we can Lift the Lid on Mental Illness! ARH

CAMERA ROTARY CLUB OF KWINANA, WA

CAMERA ROTARY CLUB OF KWINANA, WA

CAMERA ROTARY CLUB OF MACKAY, QLD

CAMERA ROTARY CLUB OF MACKAY, QLD

ARH Director DGE Pat

Schraven tackles

Cape to Cape Track in WA

ARH Director DGE Pat Schraven, along with her friends Paula and Helen walked the 130km Cape to Cape Track in the beautiful Southwest of Western Australia. Patricia, Paula, and Helen set off on the 7-day trek on 21 April 2023.

The team who showed incredible endurance, were joined by supporters who helped with their goal to raise funds for mental health research and awareness through Australian Rotary Health ARH

Let’s Get Together

Sydney, Melbourne, Darwin, and Perth!

AUSTRALIAN Rotary Health hosted its annual Let’s Get Together during July. This event brings together our great past and present Indigenous Health Scholars, Ian Scott PhD Scholarship recipients and our Funding Partner PhD scholars. They all shared their academic journey so far and thanked Rotary and ARH for the role they are playing in their commitment to health.

The Indigenous Health scholars

represent all areas of health and ARH is supporting the next generation of care providers to achieve an education that will help them assist their communities. The Commonwealth Government provides assistance for the administration of this program and provides funding for the important, mentoring aspect by uniting the scholars with their sponsoring clubs and Rotarians. These functions also

provide a cross-fertilization of ideas and knowledge of benefit to all parties.

The Funding Partner PhD scholars are undertaking research work in a range of health areas such as: polycystic kidney disease, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, rural Men’s mental health and prostate cancer. Their research is supported and funded by ARH alongside Rotary Clubs in Australia. The Ian Scott PhD Scholars all work in Mental Health research. ARH

Indigenous Health Scholarship Recipients 2023

THROUGH the Indigenous Health Scholarships, Australian Rotary Health is supporting the next generation of Indigenous health care providers to achieve an education that will help them assist their communities. We welcome 26 new scholarship recipients for 2023; 15 new Medicine scholars, 4 new Nursing scholars, 2 new Public Health scholars, 1 new Optometry scholar, 1 new Physiotherapy scholar, 1 new Occupational Therapy scholar, 1 new Social Work scholar and 1 new Psychology scholar. ARH

ARH First Nations Alumni

INDIGENOUS Scholars recently formed an alumni that will be known as ‘ARH First Nations Alumni’. It will be led by eight of their membership who have shown an interest in pursuing a leadership role. The proposed benefits include:

• Networking opportunities

• Career development

• Learning about health opportunities offered by ARH and Rotary

• Plan reunions

• Opportunities to speak at Rotary conferences and meetings ARH

MORE SNAPS FROM OUR ANNUAL LET’S GET TOGETHER

FUNDING PARTNERS PHD SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS 2023

Co-funded by donations from the David

Co-funded by donations from the Rotary Club of

by donations from the

donations

Co-funded by donations from the Bartolina Peluso/Rotary Club of Strathmore, VIC

Co-funded by donations from the Bartolina Peluso/ Rotary Club of Strathmore, VIC and the Rotary Club of Camden, NSW

Co-funded by donations from the Rotary Club of Mont Albert & Surrey Hills, VIC and the ‘Danny Frawley Centre’

Making a Will is Important at Any Stage of Our Lives

IT ensures that when we pass, our estate will be handled the way we planned. Furthermore, making a Will ensures that our assets will go to the people we choose and gives us peace of mind that our affairs are in order.

“Willed” is a trusted online platform and Australian

Rotary Health invites you to receive 20% off the cost to prepare your legal will.

Including a bequest in your Will is also one of the easiest ways to continue supporting our community after death. A gift to Australian Rotary Health in your Will can take the form of:

• Residuary Bequest – A gift of balance of your estate, or a percentage of it, after you’ve made gifts to family and friends.

• Pecuniary Bequest – A specific amount of money that you decide.

• Specific Bequest – A specified item such as shares, property, works

Co-funded by donations from the ‘Rob Henry Memorial’ PhD Scholarship, VIC

of art, jewellery, and other items of value.

Australian Rotary Health ensures that your bequest meets your wishes and is used effectively.

To find out more about making a bequest to Australian Rotary Health, contact our office. ARH

GENERAL Health “Funding Partner” PhD Scholarships were introduced in 2004 to give Rotarians and Rotary Clubs the opportunity to support research in a particular health area, funded by Australian Rotary Health.

Nina Perry

Henning Memorial PhD Scholarship, NSW

Phillipa Huynh

Victor Harbor, SA

Jordan Clarke

Co-funded

Jonathon Ceddia Memorial Fund, NSW

Charlie Ffrench Co-funded by

from the Phillip & Glenis Hayes Memorial Fund, NSW

Georgina Rawson

Aisling McEvoy

Jordan Vella

Harry Dempsey

ARH FUNDS MORE RESEARCH

New Findings in Primary Lymphoedema Treatment

Cognitive Ageing and the Interplay between Biological, Psychological, and Environmental Factors

AUSTRALIAN Rotary Health PhD scholar, Kayla Corney found maintaining a healthy lifestyle with social behaviours and managing both our physical and mental wellbeing, had a direct impact on cognitive health.

“Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (before the age of 18 years) was found to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.”

Utilizing data from a population-based study of over 600 men, depressive symptoms and the use of psychotropic medication were shown to be associated with poor cognitive function.

Dr. Jane Phillips

FORMER Australian Rotary Health PhD scholar, Dr Jane Phillips hopes to help in the treatment of primary lymphoedema based on a recent study on compression treatment.

Primary lymphoedema is a genetic condition causing chronic swelling in the arms and legs that requires daily compression to control fluid build-up. For people suffering from primary lymphoedema, fluid can gather in the skin with little technology available to assess the effectiveness of compression treatments on the skin.

The study aimed to compare fluid in the skin and deeper tissues in non-lymphoedema and primary lymphoedema patients before and after application of compression.

For those experiencing primary lymphoedema, the findings showed a decrease in fluid in the deeper tissues, but not in the skin after compression. Additionally, non-lymphoedema participants showed little change in fluid.

“We are beginning to understand more about primary lymphoedema, particularly about fluid accumulated in the skin,” said Dr Phillips. “Following these results, I hope that clinicians and researchers will be challenged to investigate innovative treatments to address accumulation of fluid in the skin, to improve outcomes for those with primary lymphoedema.”

The study was co-funded by Australian Rotary Health and the Rotary Club of Dural, NSW. ARH

“Good mental wellbeing, and a healthy lifestyle, including positive social interaction have been identified as potential opportunities for intervention in an attempt to remain cognitively healthy as we age.” Ms Corney has published her findings in the Frontiers of Ageing Neuroscience Journals.

In 2024, Kayla plans to investigate how the correlation of psychosocial and lifestyle exposures impact the cognitive health of women without dementia. We look forward to hearing more about Kayla’s research as it progresses.

The study was co-funded by Australian Rotary Health and the Bing Taylor PhD Scholarship through Rotary District 9675. ARH

Kayla Corney

AWARDS

ARH Director Patrice Robinson presented a Ruby Companion to Gail Keeler, partner of then DG Tim Keeler AM, for collecting much-needed funds for mental health research during Tim’s year as District 9620 Governor.

Rotary District 9800 ARH Chair, Dr Suresh Marcandan presented a Companion Award to Charles Tran, Rotary Club of Glenferrie, Victoria.

ARH Chair Elect Stephen Humphreys presented a Certificate of Appreciation to District 9455 ARH Chair, John Dodman, who retired from this position and District 9465 ARH Chair, Warwick Smith, who remains as ARH Chair for District 9423.

Congratulations, Ken Stone former ARH District Chair who joins the ranks of our greatest Australians receiving the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). Ken Stone OAM was the ARH District 9710 Chairman from 2005 to 2008 and still supports ARH and mental health research. He received the award from the Governor-General at Government House.

Recently Australian Rotary Health Director John Campbell attended the changeover of the Rotary Club of Murray Bridge, SA. In April the Club held a very successful Golf Tournament with Australian Rotary Health’s ‘Lift the Lid’ on Mental Illness as the beneficiary. John played with members from Rotary Club of Goolwa, SA. We thank the club for their generosity and presenting a cheque for $4,500 to our Director John Campbell.

Donations

A huge thank you to the Rotary Club of Central Launceston, who recently donated $10,000 to Australian Rotary Health. The cheque was presented to District 9830 Governor Nominee designate Craig Perkins by Kevin Shadbolt OAM, ARH Chairman.

Tamar Valley Cycle Challenge formerly Sally’s Ride started in 2002 to raise funds for mental health research in Tasmania. Australian Rotary Health can support further research into our new focus of mental health, that of the 0-12 year olds, through generous donations like this.

ARH District 9810 Chair, Glenn Tippett presented Diane Fisher from Rotary Club of Box Hill Central, Victoria with a Ruby Companion Award for her long-term commitment and support of ARH.

The Rotary e-Club of Australia Nomads had their Rotary Changeover and Australian Rotary Health’s Director Patrice Robinson commissioned one of the hiking sticks from District Governor Mina Howard’s District 9685 Partner Project, to auction at the event. The auction raised $645 and Russ Higginbotham (a great supporter of ARH) was successful in securing his new hiking stick.

District 9660 ‘Casino Royale’ Conference Dinner

ONE of the many highlights of the Rotary District 9660 Conference in Tamworth was the ‘Casino Royale’ Conference Dinner. Rotarians and guests experienced first-hand blackjack and roulette. The winners for the night were local Rotary projects, of which ARH was one of the recipients.

Thank you to all the Rotarians and guests who attended the District Conference Casino Royale Dinner, where $1,750 was also donated to Australian Rotary Health. ARH

WINTER SOLSTICE – “SHINE A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS”

ROTARY Club of Blacktown City, NSW hosted a Winter Solstice Event for Suicide Survivors and Mental Well-being. The event took place in Blacktown with campfires and candles where people were able to sit or stand and share their experiences with mental health issues, suicide prevention and bereavement.

“Shine a Light in the Darkness” set out to raise awareness of all the resources available in the community for survivors and/or those touched by suicide, bring the community together for support and reflection, support the friends and family of those we have lost by suicide and to support some of the 65,000 Australians who have survived suicide in the past year. ARH

FRIENDS & COMPANIONS WITH ROTARY CLUBS

CUMULATIVE DONATIONS FROM MARCH TO AUGUST 2023

$100K

DIAMOND COMPANIONS

• The McDonald Family

The Late Stuart McDonald

Rotary Club of Healesville, VIC

$10K GOLD COMPANIONS

• Elizabeth Dumonic

Rotary Club of Glenferrie, VIC

• Graeme Davies

Rotary Club of Kincumber, NSW

• Sarah Walsh

Rotary Club of Glenelg, SA

• Steve Warwick, SA

• Stephen & Judith Humphreys

Rotary Club of Camden, NSW

$50K EMERALD COMPANIONS

• Ann & John Odlum

Rotary Club of Jindalee, QLD

$20K RUBY COMPANIONS

• Nola Blair

Rotary Club of Blayney, NSW

• Diane Fisher

Rotary Club of Box Hill Central, VIC

• Gail Keeler District 9620

$5K COMPANIONS

• John Bird, VIC

• Trevor McGilton

Rotary Club of Brighton North, VIC

• Lyn Muller

Rotary Club of Blackwood, SA

• Simon Rez

Rotary Club of Concord, NSW

• Geoff Brennan

Rotary Club of Ryde, NSW

$2.5K DIAMOND FRIENDS

• Tullio Chiodo, NSW

• Bob Laslett

Rotary Club of Forest Hill, VIC

• John Sheldrick

Rotary Club of Belconnen, ACT

• Chris & Geoff Irish

Rotary Club of Playford, SA

• Michael Pearson

Rotary Club of Bendigo, VIC

• Neville Gilbertson

Rotary Club of Mt Gambier West, SA

• Graeme Howieson

Rotary Club of Canberra Burley Griffin, ACT

• Stephen Cookson

Rotary Club of Central Blue Mountains, NSW

• Greg & Jan Marsh

Rotary Club of Brisbane Inner West, QLD

$2K

PLATINUM FRIENDS

• Hugh Forrest

Rotary Club of Beaumaris, VIC

• Neville & Beryl Harris

Rotary Club of Euroa, VIC

• Cynthia Collins

Rotary Club of Port Augusta, SA

• Donald Franks, SA

• Greg Dean

Rotary Club of Phillip Island & San Remo, VIC

• John Maclean

Rotary Club of Darwin, NT

• Phil Weickhardt

Rotary Club of Balwyn, VIC

• Rajeev Kamineni

Rotary Club of Adelaide, SA

• Sue Scanlan

Rotary Club of Swan Valley, WA

$1K SILVER FRIENDS

• Jeff Haynes

Rotary Club of Cairns West, QLD

• Frank O’Neill

Rotary Club of Adelaide, SA

• Judith Banks

Rotary Club of Liverpool West, NSW

• Jodie Barratt

Rotary Club of Largs Bay, SA

• Clay Doyle

Rotary Club of Shepparton South, VIC

• Trevor Stirling

Rotary Club of Adelaide, SA

• Neal Edwards

Rotary Club of Canning River,

• Greg Ellson

Rotary Club of Forest Hill, VIC

• Alec Hand

Rotary Club of Geelong,

• Russell Lee

Rotary Club of Hurstville, NSW

• Warwick Smith

Rotary Club of Heirisson, WA

WA

VIC

Sarah Walsh who organised the Heyson Trail Trek which raised valuable funds for ARH was presented as a Gold Companion – presented by PDG John Campbell

FAR LEFT: Director Stephen and Judith Humphreys, Chairman Elect of ARH, was presented as a Gold Companion – presented by PDG Kevin Shadbolt OAM

LEFT: Director Steve Warwick has donated wine to ARH which was also used to raise for research, and was presented as a Gold Companion – presented by PDG John Campbell

Mental health struggles can start at any age. 100% of your donation goes into vital research.