Summary / Most Important Things

• NEWS: Canberra - Parliamentary Friends of Mental Health

• NEWS: Special announcement

• Read For Rights

• Upcoming events and accessibility guides

• Workshop handbook

• Albany planning underway

• Trail of Integrity: Fremantle ‘26

NEWS - Special announcement 📣

It is an absolute honour to announce that we will have Minister Beazley attending our upcoming International Day of People with Disability event and giving a short address. It is deeply encouraging to see policy-makers engaging with grassroots work. We look forward to sharing this moment with you!

We will also be joined by Isabella Choate (the CEO of Youth Disability Advocacy Network) and Lily Gaulton (author of Blossom)

NEWS - Parliamentary Friends of Mental Health 📣

For folks who follow me on LinkedIn, you may have already seen this update. Funnily enough, I am actually writing this newsletter on the plane on the way home from a day at Parliament House in Canberra!

I will be sharing more information in the coming weeks (and probably for many more to come), because - frankly - I am still processing everything that came to fruition. Alongside some incredible Peers, I met with the Assistant Minister for Mental Health, Hon Emma McBride MP, the Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Housing, Mr Cameron Caldwell MP, and Laura Haylen from the office of Hon Jenny McAllister MP. I also spoke with Senator Steele-John and Hon Andrew Wallace MP!

Stay tuned to hear more and to catch my reflections.

PROGRAM UPDATE: Workshops

I have - once again - made some updates to the workshop handbook which I am excited to share with you all. It is more condensed and hopefully easier to read, whilst still giving an overview of what the workshops will include.

We would LOVE to offer a workshop for you or help develop something tailored for you!

Read our current offerings

Customise your own workshop

Book a workshop

PROGRAM UPDATE: Community engagement

Past Events

Read For Rights occurred in November 15th at Pride Piazza (Northbridge Piazza). It was an all-day pop up bookstore where folks could show up exactly as they were. It was an opportunity to pick up toys, games and crafts at a pay-what-you-feel donation towards ‘Word Travels’ (see more info later in the newsletter). Overall we ended up raising $522.46! Thank you to everyone who came along.

Upcoming Events

We have 4 more events planned for 2025, ranging from an International Day of People with Disability event (which will be attended by Minister Hannah Beazley), a comedy competitive community night, and Christmas events online and in-person which hold space for nuance and discomfort.

Bun Intended is a cheeky comedy night centering bad jokes and good burgers. It will happen at Grill’d Applecross, 6:00 - 8:30pm. We will have burger-themed prizes, quiz questions, and even some competitive (but fun) creative activities! There is no entry fee - you can order a fundraising burger and chips, $10 of which will go directly to us. We will also have a raffle and chance to donate. Express your interest, learn more, and get your free tickets here.

Unfiltered for IDPwD is screening on December 13th at The Hub Bentley for International Day of People with Disability, supported by a grant through Developmental Disability WA. We will be screening our film and will also have some creative disability pride themed activities, a panel discussion with the crew of Unfiltered, catering, a popcorn bar, and plenty of good company.

It brings me great excitement to also announce that we will be joined by Minister Hannah Beazley BA MLA and Isabella Choate, CEO of Youth Disability Advocacy Network.

Here is the link to get your tickets.

SEE THE ACCESSIBILITY GUIDE HERE

Bah Humbug is our upcoming pair of Christmas events (digital and in person) that welcomes nuance and acknowledges that Christmas can be difficult for many reasons, AND that also does not have to mean it’s spent alone and unhappy. We will have an in person event (paired with a screening of The Grinch 2018) and an online event in order to make sure we make space for those who might not be able to come in person that would also love to be included. There will be plenty of room for nuance and hum-buggery.

SEE THE ACCESSIBILITY GUIDE HERE

Grants, funding, and opportunities to collaborate

As mentioned, myself and Maeson have been working on putting together a project plan - Word Travels. Our goal is to fund a Word Travels regional tour around Western Australia, however if that is not feasible, we will still see the workshop come to life and form a core component of our existing workshop offerings.

We have submitted two applications to try and get Word Travels supported - a youth engagement grant through the Department of Communities, and YACWA small grants program. We look forward to hearing back on these.

Regardless, we already have a few places keen to help us pilot and refine, and have locked in a workshop in Albany at the town hall during our regional tour in Feb 2026. Word Travels will also be delivered as a part of Trail of Integrity: Fremantle 26.

If you know of funding opportunities for capacity building, community engagement and youth empowerment in regional communities, be sure to let us know!

We are thrilled to announce our newest CONFIRMED project - Trail of Integrity ‘26. A series of workshops delivered in and around the Fremantle area, created by young people with Lived and Lived Experience of intersectional challenges.

These are to be diverse, with some catering to communities, schools, mental health organisations, grassroots organisations, social clubs, carers, health professionals… you name it.

To make sure that what we are developing best meets the needs of organisations, services and individuals within Fremantle, we would love to get your perspectives.

1. If you WORK within or near Fremantle, we would love to chat about collaboration and the potential to work together in this delivery. Send an email to rachael@integrityinitiative.com.au or complete this form here

2. If you LIVE or VISIT within or near Fremantle, we would love to hear what you’d like to see from a workshop. You can gove your views through the form here

We will be releasing more information very soon, but for now here is our web page which also contains links to surveys through which you can give your opinions and help shape the workshops we deliver!

See our Trail of Integrity website page here: https://integrityinitiative.com.au/trail-of-integrity-26

Current involvement opportunities/ calls for help

Spread the word about all of our upcoming events and our work - talking about us really does help! Let us know if you would like a blurb to send out and we will happily send one through for you!

Partners

Massive thank you is owed to Coby Barbas fantastic photography - check out the website. Coby came along to take some pics for us at Read For Rights and his for coming along and getting some absolutely stunning photos at Read For Rights. We look forward to seeing you grow and thrive!

https://www.picsimaginedbycoby.com/about

Resources

As introduced earlier, we are thrilled to announce and begin to launch Word Travels, and given it uses zine making as a creative medium, we thought it was only fitting to make a zine to share all about it! Find it linked here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DD4VUAlPNXDtfH_hFW_GvKjKA5aqGdwn/view

Team spotlight

🥰 CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER 🥰

Not one, but TWO of Integrity Initiative’s team members have been announced as Youth Week Ambassadors for 2026! I am not at all surprised, they are the most incredible advocates and I couldn’t ask for better representation. What a testament to the determination, persistence and expertise of our Integrity family not just in this role but more broadly.

Congratulations Alessia and Maeson, you are fantastic advocates and Western Australia is indescribably lucky to have you both representing them. I am forever proud of you and the rest of our crew.

Slay Takeaways

On Wednesday 26th November, there was a small army of frogs making their way around Parliament House (it was me, I was delivering miniature frogs).

Take care froglets,

Rachael and the Integrity Army