Toowoomba’s Momentum Mental Health offer chance to trek Kokoda for free

A generous donor will pay for one brave soul to join a group of Toowoomba locals as they embark on a gruelling and iconic international trek. Here’s how you can apply.

The Momentum Mental Health Chairman Chris Black trains with family and Resilience Trekkers as they prepare for their gruelling eight day trek along the Kokoda Trail. Picture: Supplied.

A Toowoomba not-for-profit has invited the community to join in a journey through the Papua New Guinea jungle, with one lucky trekker set to take off free of charge.

In June of this year, a group of Toowoomba locals will embark on a gruelling eight-day trek along the Kokoda Trail to raise money for Momentum Mental Health, an organisation offering free clinical and wellbeing services to the Darling Downs, South Burnett and Southern Downs regions.

“We are calling it the Resilience Trek because we need courage to push ourselves further and further every day, just as people with mental health challenges face those battles on a daily basis,” Momentum Mental Health chairman Chris Black said.

“We’re getting comfortable by getting uncomfortable.

“We’re really excited to push ourselves and test the limits of what is possible but at the same time raise money for Momentum.”

Originally only taking on 20 trekkers, Momentum Mental Health announced they would be opening to 15 new adventurers while also offering a bursary to fully fund the experience of one lucky recipient.

“This bursary has actually been provided by a private family here in Toowoomba,” Mr Black said.

“It’s brilliant, a really working class, fantastic family has put up their own cash, which is a lot of cash to them, to make a difference in someone else’s life.

“We encourage anybody to apply.

“Who we are looking for is someone that is aspirational … someone with big dreams who wants to do more but may not have the courage or confidence to do so right now.

“Someone who may not have the financial capacity to come on their own but for whom this would be a very meaningful experience.”

Momentum Mental Health has expanded rapidly in the last few years, operating hubs in Toowoomba, Kingaroy, Dalby, Warwick and Chinchilla; however, funding restrictions have put a strain on the organisation, now struggling to maintain their vital services.

“We ran out of funding to support our Miles and Tara facilities,” Momentum Mental Health CEO Shirley-Anne Gardiner said.

“They cried out and when we were forced to stop, the community were really upset.

“We said ‘we’re not funded but we can’t stop’ … we chose to go back even though we had no money to do it … we had to do the right thing.

Ms Gardiner said donation efforts from the Kokoda Resilience Trek would ensure everyone had access to mental health support.

“People don’t put their mental health first and often, even if they have money, they choose not to spend money on mental health,” she said.

“Our people are very resilient but they are also reluctant to get help.

“People are realising I thought I was OK and I could cope but you don’t know what you don’t know.

“This will help us ensure we can keep our services free.”

To join the trek or apply for the bursary head to their website.

Those unable to participate in the trek can still support the cause by donating to the team here.

Originally published as Toowoomba’s Momentum Mental Health offer chance to trek Kokoda for free