The 'Rural Women's Network Skills Roadshow' around regional New South Wales is back by popular demand in 2026, with more than $52,000 in additional funding from the Minns Labor Government.
Over 300 women participated in 30 free sold-out workshops in 2025, aimed at empowering regional and rural women with essential skills in first aid, and mental health crisis support through fee-free training with St John Ambulance.
Women attending training ranged from young mums seeking first aid skills, to women working in the community where mental health crisis support skills were often needed.
There are 16 workshops planned for the first half of 2026 in eight new locations including:
- Glen Innes - 6-7 February
- Narrabri - 20-21 February
- Gilgandra - 6-7 March
- Scone - 20-21 March
- Dareton - 1-2 May
- Griffith - 15-16 May
- Young - 5-6 June
- Bourke - 19-20 June
The workshops are accessible and include skills to respond effectively in emergency situations, recognise mental health issues, recognise situations where people may be in imminent crisis, provide appropriate interventions and learn where to direct people for further support.
A full day workshop will be offered for both First Aid and Mental Health in each location.
Workshop participants will receive a nationally recognised, accredited certification once they have completed their training.
Recent St John Ambulance statistics highlight the need to increase first aid and mental health knowledge:
- In New South Wales, 33 per cent of adults have never trained in first aid (the highest proportion of any state/territory in Australia) and only 37 per cent have done training in the last three years.
- Women are less likely to be confident providing first aid (44 per cent of women are confident) compared to men (57 per cent of men are confident).
- 87 per cent of Australians would be more willing to provide help to a person with a mental health issue if they were taught how.
Registrations will open today, 9am (AEDT) for Glen Innes, Narrabri, Gilgandra and Scone. To find out more and register go to: nsw.gov.au/rwn-roadshow. Registrations will open in April for the other four locations.
Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said:
"The NSW Government is empowering regional and rural women to access this life-saving training to bridge an important gap, particularly for women who would have otherwise missed out due to cost or travel.
"The expansion of this program to more regions is one of the ways the Minns Labor Government is building a better New South Wales for regional women. We're not only giving women essential skills but building resilience in regional communities.
"We're pleased to be once again partnering with St John Ambulance to deliver this exciting program in the regions.
"The 2025 workshops were all sold out so I encourage women to sign up quickly to make the most of this opportunity to learn new skills and equip yourself with essential first aid knowledge."
St John Ambulance CEO, Dominic Teakle, said:
"The overwhelming response to last year's Rural Women's Network Skills Roadshow demonstrates just how vital this program is for our regional and rural communities. By expanding to eight new towns across NSW, we're ensuring more women have access to critical First Aid and Mental Health training that could save lives.
"This investment reflects our commitment to supporting regional and rural women with practical skills that strengthen both individuals and their communities.
"These workshops build confidence and capability while creating resilience in our regions-more education means more control and more resilience for women and their families."
