A number of avid readers visited Bathurst Showground over the weekend for Lifeline Central West's Mega Book Fair.
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Held biannually, the book fair raises much needed funds to provide vital services for people across the Central West in times of crisis.
Lifeline Central West executive director Alex Ferguson praised the turnout of the Bathurst community over the weekend.
"This event is a major fundraiser for us in providing training for volunteer telephone counsellors who comprise the nucleus of our service," Mr Ferguson said.
"It costs around $4500 to train a volunteer, and no other service provides the 24-hour, seven-day-a-week crisis support line that we do."
Mr Ferguson said Lifeline Central West takes calls for a variety of crisis-related issues, including domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, mental health and loneliness.
"Around 34 per cent of our incoming calls are predicated around loneliness, which is ironic considering we live in a world that is more connected than ever," he said.
"Loneliness leads to a host of mental health issues and to break that circle, we need to be well-resourced to reach out to those who feel isolated from the community."
Mr Ferguson said each call Lifeline Central West receives is fundamentally different from the next, highlighting the complexities surrounding mental health.
"Most of the calls we receive are very personal in nature, which is why it's important we continue to provide well-trained counsellors willing to provide support," he said.
"The average call to Lifeline lasts around 23 minutes, and you never know what you're going to receive on the other end of the line."
Mr Ferguson said the funds raised from the book fair are on par with previous years, and the proceeds will provide training for nine telephone counsellor roles.
"We've been running this event for 10 years now and through all our initiatives, we maintain a strong focus on community," he said.
"Mental health is a complex, but very real issue."
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Sam Bolt
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
