When members of Scouts NSW have questions about mental health, Wendy White might just be one of the people they turn to.
The passion and dedication to the mental health space of the State Commissioner for Mental Health Support saw the Campbelltown Rotarian nominated for the 2024 NSW Rotary Inspirational Women’s awards.
Wendy White won the Urban Over 30 category – and then the biggest award of all: Rotary Inspirational Woman of the Year.
While Ms White was “a bit embarrassed” about the win, she is a deserving recipient of the award for her work both inside Scouts NSW and in her professional and community life.
Wendy White has been in the state commissioner role for 12 months, after serving as a mental health first aid trainer.
She said mental health support was a space she was drawn to and has become a passion project.
“I run a bookkeeping business and in the accounting world, especially with Covid and to the businesspeople we deal with, I probably use my skills in mental health on a weekly basis,” she said.
“One of my clients is a tradie, and I must have said something to him about mental health support one day, and he called me up and said, ‘that suicide stuff you’re involved in, I have an apprentice I’m worried about, how can we help him?’. I talk about it with everyone all the time.
“I had a solicitor recently and one of his staff had found a homeless lady sleeping in her car with her dog, and he said, ‘I don’t know where to start’.
“I’ve gotten to know local people and local agencies and have three counsellors as clients who know they’re on my scouts contact list. And none of them have ever said no when we reach out.”
