Hello,

This is a place where we can showcase some of the wonderful work our Impact participants create.

Its Heidi Everett here, hope you are good.

Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to be interviewed on local radio about some of my experiences with mental illness but it wasn't doom and gloom! On the contrary - lots of laughs and sprinkled with plenty of original music. Phil Heuzenroeder who runs the Music Network for mental health and the Bipolar bears band was also with me in the studio, it was such a fantastic time. It would be such a waste to let it all go into the ether, I'm sure other people would really benefit from what happened in the show.

Please check out Heidi's link: http://southernfm.com.au/music/heidi-everett-live-at-the-wireless-podcast/

Heidi is working really hard at bringing a positive and hopeful face to mental illness, and she is happy to share this with all of you.

Heidi

Social Impact - Participant Quotes, 2010

• 1. 'Sometimes my words get tangled up in my mouth and it sometimes comes out wrong. Social Impact is giving me confidence to speak to people.'
• 2. 'Nice course. Never done anything like it. It's fun!'
• 3. 'My Mother was worried when I first started coming to Social Impact and now she is happy.'
• 4. 'I am getting ready to take him out on a date.'
• 5. 'I'll be back next year!'
• 6. 'All I want is to get a job. Get paid. Have lots of money. Buy a house. Have a beautiful good looking girlfriend and have lots of pets.'
• 7. 'I'm learning how to cope in friendships.'
• 8. 'I have seen a lot of relationships that lasted and collapsed, and it is good to come to Social Impact and learn about what a good relationship looks like.'
• 9. 'I want to learn more about what to do on a first date.'
• 10. 'Although I have achieved a lot of personal growth and peace within myself. I am still working towards living independently and getting paid work...and a little bit of love wouldn't hurt either.'
• 11. 'I would like to have love and a boy friend.'
• 12. Social Impact is fun! A spade is a spade is a spade and sometimes used as a shovel.'
• 13. 'I trust the people here.'
• 14. 'It's a great program to learn new personal skills.'
• 15. 'I have come to Social Impact to meet new people and learn how to make and keep friends.'
• 16. 'At Social Impact, I want to make friends, learn how to get along with everyone and how to talk to people properly.'
• 17. 'I'm having fun here and laughing a lot. The people here are respectful and I feel safe sharing my feelings. The people here are trustworthy.
• 18. 'I came to Social Impact to learn better social skills, make new friends and find a partner.'
• 19. 'I want to get away from my family because I want to live independently and find a job.'
• 20. 'I am learning lots at Social Impact.'
• 21. 'Sometimes saying 'NO' makes me feel like I am being nasty. But Social Impact is helping me to say 'NO' and stop being railroaded into situations.'
• 22. 'I enjoy Social Impact. I'm coming back next year!'
• 23. 'It's the best thing. Social Impact has changed my life.'
• 24. 'I really enjoy it. But we need something in the Northern suburbs like Social Impact.'
• 25. 'I practice what I learnt at Social Impact home and when I go out for dinner with my friends.'
• 26. Social Impact is pretty helpful and really nice. I feel comfortable there.'
• 27. 'I wanna meet someone nice. It's too dangerous on the internet. Social Impact is the safest place.'
• 28. 'Social Impact is helping me with my dream. To meet new people, have a boyfriend - a stable relationship where I can settle down and have my own place to live independently.'
• 29. 'Speed dating was good. We should do that again!'
• 30. 'At Social Impact we have fun learning about different sorts of relationships and how to make friends.'
• 31. 'I felt nervous when I first started going to Social Impact. As I kept going I got more confident and now I look forward to making new friends.'
• 32. 'I am more confident since going to Social Impact. It has improved my social skills and I'm learning how to have a conversation with new people and it is getting easier to talk about different things, because when I started Social Impact I was a shy person.'
• 33. 'Coming to Social Impact has made my life happier. It's great to meet new people where I feel safer than going to a nightclub - you have to be careful who you meet and I feel safe at Social Impact.'
• 34. 'I'm enjoying Social Impact and would like it to continue.'
• 35. 'Great training. I think it was so important what was said about relationships and how 2 handle it when you like someone more than they like u - or vice versa. Happens to me all the time - all the good guys are taken. I've fallen for 1 yet again - just shoot me!'

Compiled by Naomi Day, Edward Gruenberger and Daniel Newnham, on behalf of Social Impact.  October, 2010.