Fundraiser for mental health

The Busselton Trotting club will hold a fundraiser raffle at the Busselton Freight Services Busselton Cup tonight to help non-profit mental health care provider Lamp.

A raffle will be drawn with prizes including a skateboard, and three hampers donated by Hillzeez surf shop.

Lamp chief executive Lorrae Loud said the funds raised would help the youth program 226, which works with schools and youth centres via the “226 bus”.

“We’ve had the raffle partnership with the trotting club for the last four years and we’ve been receiving the generous donations of the trotting club for 13 years,” she said. The youth program is an unfunded program which relies on community donations.

“We’ve been providing services for over 22 years here in the local community, we work with people with severe and persistent mental illnesses with one-on-one counselling and in home.

“We also look at bullying and self-esteem issues, understanding our feelings and emotions at a young age, and working with teenagers at risk of the effects of drugs and alcohol. Lamp offers services to people on all levels of the mental health spectrum from schizophrenia and bipolar to depression, anxiety and eating disorders.

Busselton Trotting Club secondary treasurer Pat Abbott said the relationship with Lamp was “very important”. “Through the Racing and Wagering WA’s Community Program we nominated Lamp as a community service that deserves a donation and we make sure they receive around $2000 which is matched by RWWA,” she said.