Ms JODIE HARRISON (Charlestown)—The candlelight vigil at Christ Church Cathedral in Newcastle is always a highlight of Mental Health Month.

It was beautiful to hear the voices of the Under Construction Choir, made up of people who have experienced mental health challenges, their loved ones and the wider community.

They performed the hymn 'Dona Nobis Pacem', gospel music like 'Peace in the Valley', and folk songs including 'The Water is Wide'. As choir conductor Kay Lane told NBN News, there is a lot of research that indicates singing together creates connection between people and helps elevate their mood. The Under Construction Choir is a great resource for our local community.

I am pleased that, after the long separation caused by COVID, the Under Construction Choir can sing together again.

The service has been held at the Cathedral for more than twenty years to honour people with a mental illness both living and deceased, as well as they families and friends. The candles are lit to celebrate mental wellness, to remember those who have been lost to illness and the people who support them. It was a very special service, and an honour to attend.

A Community Recognition Notice is an opportunity for an MP to submit a short statement praising the work of an individual or group in the local community. If you have any ideas about people I can recognise with a Community Recognition Notice, please email and let me know!