NEWS DESK
Mumma bears help young mums Stephen Taylor steve@baysidenews.com.au A SUPPORT group for young mothers living in Frankston and on the Mornington Peninsula has grown so fast it will have to become incorporated nationally to realise the next stage of its growth spurt. Mumma Bears founder Carol Ray said the 500-member group had “touched a nerve” with the many women feeling alone and cut off when left at home to look after children – especially in the early stages of motherhood. Ms Ray, of Carrum Downs, said she had envisaged having only about 20 members when the group began late last year, but the popularity of the free service offering parenting and other life skills had exceeded her most optimistic expectations. Mumma Bears provides support for mums of all ages who are raising children with little or no family help. They are matched one-on-one with – usually older – volunteer mums who help out with regular scheduled chats, home visits or outings to ease the pressure in times of stress. Times, locations and frequency of visits are decided by mutual negotiation between the Mumma Bears and their “cubs”. “It’s really a formalised friendship between them with no hard-and-fast rules; just whatever the need may be,” Ms Ray said. “It may be just a chat over the phone, and the Mumma Bear has to be prepared to be told that ‘now’s not the right time’.” “At the moment we have 30 or 40 mums waiting to be matched so we are desperate for volunteers who can assist them.” Ms Ray said she had so far funded Mumma Bears out of her own pocket. “I certainly didn’t realise we would get so big,” she said. “It started out as a labour of love but it’s become a surprising success story.”
Almost family: Jet, left, Carol Ray, Jai and Renee Gipp. Picture: Gary Sissons
Ms Ray said Mumma Bears was not a government agency. “We don’t ask for anything from our members or charge any fees. We are just there for them.” Volunteers old and young are the lifeblood of the organisation. “They know the difficulties of being a young mum and the sense of loneliness of being at home all day, every day. Those who experienced a time when their own mum wasn’t around to help would understand how tough it can be.” Careful planning taking in interests, availability, background or location successfully matches experienced mum to their cubs. “Sometimes these girls just need to strike up a friendship one-on-one, whether it be over coffee, at each other’s houses, or just simply for some
advice and a chat over the phone or by text.” Ms Ray said she came up with the idea after reading a Facebook post. “A young mum posted that she was lonely and didn’t have family support, and many commented they were in the same boat,” she said. “It broke my heart and I decided to see if there was an interest out there for a mums’ support program. “It exploded and I got 400 ‘likes’ in 24 hours.” A hands-on helper herself, Ms Ray babysits for a young mum who cherishes her free time to go to the gym. The group is holding a fund raiser for its first anniversary dinner in November. See mummabears.com or email info@mummabears.com for further information.
Charges over robberies and assaults by teen A FRANKSTON North teenager is facing multiple armed robbery charges after two alleged incidents in Seaford this month. The 17-year-old is alleged to have demanded a mobile phone from a passenger on a bus travelling from Frankston station to Carrum Downs, Monday 12 September. The offender allegedly reached for the phone but, when the victim, also 17, of Frankston, backed away, punched him in the head. Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Al Hanson, of Frankston CIU, said the offender then pulled out a knife and threatened to stab the victim before stealing his wallet. In another incident on Friday 16 September, the teenager allegedly slashed a 21-year-old Langwarrin man across the face with a blade during a bungled armed robbery in Seaford, 3.15pm. Detective Senior Constable Deanne Williams, of Frankston CIU, said the 21-year-old was walking along Railway Parade when he was allegedly confronted by the knife-wielding teen who demanded his mobile phone. When the demand was refused, the teenager allegedly slashed the man’s face before grabbing the phone and running off. Despite bleeding badly, the victim chased and grappled with the offender and managed to retrieve his phone and call police. He was later taken to Frankston Hospital for treatment. Police later arrested a teenager at Frankston train station with the help of a bystander who said he saw him dumping clothing in a bin, possibly to change his appearance. He was charged and remanded on two counts of armed robbery and reckless causing serious injury. He appeared at a children’s court on Monday 19 September and was then further remanded to appear at the same court at a later date.
Mental health disorders on rise Liz Bell liz@baysidenews.com.au PEOPLE living in Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula have higher levels of mental health disorders than the Victorian average, with health services struggling to cope with demand. Figures from the state’s mental health intake service, Neami, put the two areas ahead of some of its biggest neighbours, including Bayside, when it comes to mental health. Peninsula Health, the peninsula’s main providers of health services, is stretched to capacity, with waiting lists in many cases for people needing assistance. Peninsula Health operations direc-
tor Sharon Sherwood says demand for mental health care on the peninsula had been steadily rising for the past decade, with most patients requiring long-term treatment. Peninsula Health has about 115 residential beds in the public system for people with mental health illnesses, with about 70 of those available for young people. Courtney Gould from Headspace Frankston said the number of young people needing help was “huge”, with one in four young people – or about 10,000 people - in the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula area experiencing a mental health issue in any 12-month period. The 2010 Australia Bureau of Statistics report gives a snapshot of mental
health in young people in Frankston, with 16.2 per cent of secondary students having very high levels of psychological distress, higher than the state average by 4 per cent. In 2010, almost seven out of every 1000 young people on the peninsula were hospitalised with a psychiatric condition, slightly higher than the Victorian average. In Frankston it jumped to around nine out of every 1000. Unemployment and homelessness are thought to be factors, with rates higher than the 12 per cent Victorian average in West Park (24.3 per cent) BaxterPearcedale (18.2 per cent), Tyabb (16.9 per cent) and Hastings (15.9 per cent). Depression is revealed as a key issue for young people in the recently released Local Government Areas
Strategic Framework for Young People 2015-2019 report by Frankston and Mornington Peninsula Shire councils. An increase in young people with depression is also evident in Mornington Peninsula Shire’s ‘Communities that Care Healthy Neighbourhood School Survey’ results 2012 report. That survey found nearly one-third of young people in the Mornington Peninsula Shire had recently been bullied. Ms Gould said specialist support was the key to helping young people bounce back from mental illness. “We know that if a young person has a mental health issue and engages with treatment, they are less likely to go on to develop more issues,” she said. “They learn tools to cope, manage stress and look after themselves”.
Headspace helps people recognise symptoms and learn where to get help and how to look after themselves and their friends. “The earlier things are picked up and dealt with, the quicker recovery time and less impact on their lives,” Ms Gould said. Homelessness has been a growing concern across Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula for several years. Records from Christian group, SalvoCare, show there were 2200 “unique clients” seeking emergency housing in Frankston in 2012-13 and 600 “repeat clients”. Volunteer organisation Community Support Frankston reports 444 people with no fixed address needed help from the agency in 2014.
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Frankston Times 26 September 2016
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