In South Australia’s Yankalilla, Sunday Sessions became a powerful way for families to open up about mental health over craft, pizza or while chopping carrots.
Thanks to a $12,260 In a Good Place grant, funded by CCI Giving, Yankalilla Youth Arts (YYA) delivered a series of creative, community-led workshops designed to strengthen the mental health and wellbeing of young people and their families. These free, inclusive sessions combined arts-based activities with gentle therapeutic support, creating a safe and welcoming space where mental health conversations could happen naturally.
Held across Yankalilla, Myponga and Cape Jervis, the 11 Sunday Sessions were tailored to those aged 6-18 and their families, with a strong focus on emotional wellbeing, connection and confidence-building. Activities included everything from paper plane competitions and filmmaking, to creative writing and sensory wool crafts.
What made the sessions unique was their deliberate, wrap-around support. Each was co-facilitated by Evette Wolf, Project Manager and Workshop Leader, local psychologist Gosia Morse and Kell Burgess, workshop assistant and dog handler – with Axel the support dog providing calm and comfort. Gosia’s guided wellbeing games opened each session and were thoughtfully designed to help participants connect, build self-esteem and feel safe.
One memorable moment came when a local child with special needs confidently led a memory game Gosia had introduced. The applause and praise she received brought visible pride – a beautiful example of how these sessions helped to build participants’ self-worth.
YYA also wove in local collaboration to strengthen community ties. At the very first workshop, families created paintings for the Refugee Support Group Art Show, and later, participants helped with prop-making for YYA’s upcoming film, which was met with excited participation from the broader Yankalilla community.
The Sunday Sessions even popped up at the Yankalilla Agricultural Show, attracting around 200 visitors. Amid the buzz, the team offered crafts, sensory activities, cups of tea and picnic rugs and created opportunities for casual chats and deeper connection. They also distributed mental health support resources, helping raise awareness in a gentle, approachable way.
Food played a quiet but powerful role in every Sunday Session. Whether preparing a meal together or sharing a bite, it created a relaxed, familiar space where conversations could unfold naturally. As Evette put it, “Talking while chopping carrots may be just as, or even more, effective as face-to-face counselling. ”Session feedback spoke volumes. One young participant summed it up best: “A trillion, million, quadrillion, pentillion more Sunday Sessions!”