Tomorrow (Wednesday, June 18), R U OK? will be holding a community BBQ at The Quad in the Lismore CBD from 3pm to 5pm as part of the R U OK? Conversation Convoy.

Lachlan Searle R U OK? Community Director said the Conversation Convoy spends about 120 days a year on the road holding community and public workplace events to remind people to look out for people who might be struggling, to check in and ask them the question, R U OK?

"We've been around for about 15 years or so, and we know that if you ask the question in an authentic way and you're there in a safe environment at a time when you are prepared to listen, it does help people.

"The best way to do that is to put yourself in a position where you might have noticed signs that someone might be struggling a bit, and you want to check in with them, you need to do that at a safe time and a safe place. And then, once you ask the question, you just need to listen, and the key thing is to listen without judgement." 

"An R U OK? conversation really starts from a point of connection. You might have a connection with someone in your world, whether it's a colleague, a friend or a family member, because you've got that connection, you might notice when they might be struggling a little bit, such as you haven't heard from them for a week, or you see them in the office, and they're not as positive as they normally are.

"So, we are all about informal community care at R U OK? That's just looking out for people in your world that you think might be struggling, and just asking the question. And when you do listen you can often really help them, they get to unload things and release a few burdens. But, there might be some big issues going on that you can potentially point them in the right direction to find help, whether it's local services or through the GP, and then once you sort of encourage some action, you check back in and see how they're going, like did you go for that walk? Did you have a coffee? Did you get a better night's sleep, those sorts of things." 

The R U OK? Conversation Convoy has enormous benefits for residents in Lismore and the Northern Rivers.

We all know people who have been affected by the 2022 big flood. For many, it forced a change of life, or it caused mental health issues that were not there previously. Sometimes, rain on the roof can cause anxiety, or the endless rain we experienced from March to the end of May has caused three months of re-lived trauma.

"It's a barbecue with tea and coffee," Lachlan said, "You can come and grab a free KitKat, but ultimately it's about there's a whole heap of free resources there to encourage people to take these ideas back into their workplace and back into their communities.

"And it's just really about coming along and supporting the community of Lismore and the Northern Rivers. We know communities had a really difficult start to the year with so much rain, and this is a chance for people to connect and get together. We have a number of local services coming down to help out as well."

DETAILS - R U OK? at The Quad, Lismore

When: Wednesday 18th June at 15:00 – 17:00 (AEST).

Where: The Quad, 110 Magellan St, Lismore NSW 2480.

Who: R U OK? staff and members of the Lismore community.

What: R U OK? will be hosting a free community BBQ, sharing practical tips and tools on how to have meaningful R U OK? Conversations. 

Why: To inspire Lismore locals to meaningfully connect and empower them to lend support if they spot the signs someone might be struggling with life.