Zonta club connecting young and old

The Zonta Club of Geographe Bay and Busselton Senior High School students are preparing to mark Mental Health Week.

The Zonta Club of Dunsborough chartered the start of the Geographe Bay Zonta Club, with the school-based Zonta Service Clubs, who are undertaking several community-based and international projects.

Last year, the students ran an R U OK? Day fundraiser, took part in Walk for Tenderfeet, ran fundraisers, held a colour run for SAFE Busselton and organised more than 100 handbags as part of the Share the Dignity It’s in a Bag Project, winning the Emma L Conlan award.

The club has 28 student members — ranging from Year 7-12, both male and female — participating in the International Pen Pal Project.

It involves writing to students in Colombo, Sri Lanka and the US state of Oregon, as well as a local mentoring pen pal partnership with members from the Zonta Club of Dunsborough.

Busselton SHS youth pathways co-ordinator Dee Shade said conversations and support around mental health was important to the school and they had recently established a mental health and wellbeing team.

“We’re really pushing staff and student wellbeing and it fits in really well with the Z Club and the philosophies of Zonta around giving back, so it all tied in together,” she said.

Zonta Club of Dunsborough president Pauline Vukelic believed both clubs would continue to work on joint projects and older members enjoyed sharing their life experiences and support with younger co-members.

“I think it’s really important to provide students with mentoring, whether it’s one on one or just providing an example and supportive environment,” she said.