Suncorp supports children’s bushfire recovery program

The Black Summer Bushfires of 2019/20 affected many people, but imagine being a child – separated from loved ones fighting the fires, seeing the destruction but not having the words to express the feelings, listening to adult conversations but not being included. 

Royal Far West – a national charity that supports the health and wellbeing of country children – recognised the extra support needed by young people and developed a bushfire recovery program to be rolled out in primary schools and preschools. 

Today, Suncorp has applauded the program, awarding it the Suncorp Resilient Australia National Community Award. 

The annual awards are presented by the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience and recognise the top initiatives that connect communities and foster resilience to disasters and emergencies. 

Suncorp Executive General Manager Karyn Munsie said the program goes to the very core of why Suncorp supports these awards. 

“Natural disasters can have a significant impact on younger Australians, so building their personal resilience from school age is so important,” she said. 

The bushfire recovery program has now been rolled out in over 30 communities, supporting over 3,000 children. 

It was developed following consultation with impacted communities and experts in disaster recovery, and offers group programs, individual therapy and capacity building delivered by health clinicians, to support the wellbeing and resilience of children and reduce the likelihood of long-term adverse effects. Helping those around the child is just as important, with the program supporting over 1,700 parents, educators and local professionals.