STORIES FROM OUR FIRST RESPONDER COMMUNITY
Fortem Australia is a not-for-profit organisation that supports the mental fitness and wellbeing of first responder families. Every day, more than 300,000 first responders keep our communities safe. They are backed up by their families: partners, children and parents. All of them hold vital and challenging roles. We help them to be well, and stay well, through mental fitness, support services and wellbeing activities. These are their stories.
It’s a strike for first responder families at Ten Pin Bowling!
Ten Pin Bowling is always such a family-friendly fun activity, and our first responder families thoroughly enjoyed spending time together trying to get a strike when Fortem Australia hosted a
The Little Adventurers go on a Magical Leaf Hunt
The Little Adventurers recently experienced all the fun of visiting the Wollongong Botanic Garden. The Little Adventurers is a program hosted by Fortem Australia for families with children aged between
Lake Area Command Police Station Paintball Skirmish
The Fortem team recently invited a group of first responders from Lake Area Command Police Station for a paintball skirmish at Alpha Paintball in Stanwell Park! Thirty participants were split
Illawarra Police vs Ambulance Paintball Skirmish
The Fortem team recently challenged a group of first responders from Wollongong police and Southern NSW ambulance agencies to join together for a paintball skirmish at Alpha Paintball in Stanwell
Adventure amongst the tree tops for first responder families!
On a sunny Saturday in May, Fortem Australia hosted a family day at the Tree Top Adventure Park in Nowra. Our participants enjoyed a day out filled with heights, challenges,
First responder families seize the clay!
Do you know the difference between air dry clay and fire clay? First responder families recently came together for a workshop facilitated by Fortem that saw them learn about clay
Workshop brings first responder families out of the woodwork!
Is there a better way to hammer out the Winter blues than by getting out for a woodworking workshop? Fortem brought together a group of first responders and their families
A sweet wellbeing activity for first responder families!
Who doesn’t love cupcakes? Imagine if you had the chance to decorate them and eat them whilst making new friends. Fortem brought together a group of first responders families to
Lockdown activities for first responder families.
With communities around Australia living with the pressures of COVID-19, and nearly half our population in lockdown the Fortem team has moved quickly to fill our Wellbeing Activities Calendar with
You can’t just sign trauma away – Josh and Shelly Lavender.
On the day that Fortem Australia drops in on Josh and Shelly Lavender, the skies above their home on the NSW Far South Coast are brilliant blue. Wednesdays are precious to the couple because
Suicide first-aid training to build strength in first responder community – register now!
As a first responder or family member you probably have extensive training in how to keep people physically safe. You are encouraged to keep skills like CPR up to date as part of your professional and personal toolkit but what about when it
Snowy Monaro paramedics have a hoot digging for buried ‘treasure’.
What happens when you ask 11 paramedics to suggest a social connection and wellbeing activity? The answer is – you end up scratching around in dirt, for an obscure fungus worth
