JENNY AITCHISON
MEMBER FOR MAITLAND

JODIE HARRISON
MINISTER FOR WOMEN

MEDIA RELEASE - ROADSHOW TO DELIVER FREE FIRST-AID, MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING FOR WOMEN IN MAITLAND

The Minns Labor Government’s Rural Women’s Network Skills Roadshow will deliver two first aid and mental health crisis workshops for women in Maitland on 16-17 May.
The full-day courses, including refreshments, training material and nationally accredited certification will be coordinated by the Rural Women’s Network in partnership with St John Ambulance.

Participants will be equipped with skills to better respond to emergency situations, recognise mental health issues, provide appropriate interventions and learn where to access and direct people for further support.

The program is designed to empower women in regional and rural NSW to overcome financial barriers to develop accessible and practical skills training.

St John Ambulance data has revealed significant gaps in first aid and mental health knowledge in Australia and NSW:

• In NSW, 33% of adults have never trained in first aid (the highest proportion of any state/territory in Australia) and only 37% have done training in the last 3 years.
• Women are less likely to be confident in providing first aid (44% of women are confident) compared to men (57% of men are confident).
• 87% of Australians would be more willing to provide help to a person with a mental health issue if they were told how.

The Rural Women’s Network Skills Road Show will deliver 30 workshops across 15 regions in NSW from May to November.

To register for a course and learn more about the Skills Roadshow, visit: Rural Women's Network Skills Roadshow 2025 | NSW Government

Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said:
“For the first time women across regional and rural NSW will now have access to free first aid and mental health training thanks to the Rural Women’s Network Skills Roadshow.”

“This initiative bridges an important gap and builds resilience particularly for women who would have otherwise missed out due to cost or travel.”

“I want to thank St Johns Ambulance for partnering with us to deliver this exciting program, which will deliver 30 workshops right across NSW.”

“If you are a woman living in regional or rural NSW, I encourage you to register for one or both courses nearest to you to help keep your family, workplace and community safe.”

Member for Maitland Jenny Aitchison said:
“I’m delighted Maitland was selected as one of the workshop locations for the Rural Women’s Network Skills Roadshow.”

“This is a wonderful opportunity for local women to sign up and take control of upskilling themselves in first aid and mental health.”

“Initiatives like this help bridge an important gap particularly for women who would have otherwise missed out due to cost or travel and this builds resilience for our community.”