Well at Mood Active, we know that for a lot of people, especially those suffering from mental illness, mood disorders or feeling the effects of major worldwide upheavals, this is far from simple. We are here for you. Our programs are designed and delivered to support your mental health, proven with years of clinical research, and delivered by specially trained and experienced coaches. Come along and join the movement with your fellow-travellers.
The start of your journey with us...the 4WWW was designed by Sam van Meurs (psychology consultant to NSW Police) and Tania Curley, a Co-Founder of Mood Active (degree in Coaching Psychology, qualified/experienced in adult learning). Tania has delivered this program many times - we know it works!
Getting started with exercise, overcoming hurdles, sustaining the habit. Evidence matters though, and our data tracking methods are gold standard, used and recognised by GPs and psychologists.
Once you have learnt how and why to make exercise part of your daily life, you may need somewhere you can practise this new skill. It's also great if you can practise this in an environment with other likeminded people, with no judgement and in an accessible place. This is what our supported group exercise classes are.
Our trainers are qualified in Mental Health First Aid, supportive and expert at what they do. We provide a variety of exercise types, because different exercise options appeal to different people. You will experience real cameraderie, as our class participants naturally support each other, it's a shared journey you're on.
We can't emphasise enough the benefits of belonging to a community to provide support for your journey. Mood Active offers you the opportunity to join this community where everyone is welcome! Membership is free and gives you easy access to our programs, classes and other events so you can meet new fellow-travellers and even organise your own exercise groups.
Once you join up, you will find out that you are not alone, and that the issues that you experience can be alleviated with the support of Mood Active coaches and trainers along with your fellow participants.
The Founder (2012) - thoughts on exercise and good mental health...
Steph talks about her battles with bi-polar, and her triumphs through exercise and social connection...
Caroline talks about friendships, support and fun!
click on the pic for the full text of long quotes
Check us out on social media
Mood Active’s sole purpose is to improve the mental health and well being of more Australian adults by ensuring that supervised supportive exercise programs are accessible and affordable to all.
We rely on the generous support of volunteers and donations, and are incredibly grateful to those who have provided their support and continue to do so on an ongoing basis.
We have deductible gift recipient status, which means your donations are tax deductible. Please keep a copy of your payment receipt for your records.
Mood Active is an organisation dedicated to enabling people to build exercise into their own mental health wellbeing routine.
We want to see more GPs and other clinicians, prescribing exercise to combat mood disorders!
We do this through supporting people on their journey to better mental health - starting with our 4WWW program.
Our programmes are built to be sustainable. As we expand, we are looking to partner with organisations that can help us grow and continue to help people with mental illness and other mood disorders across Australia in clinically proven ways that work for them.
Mood Active has partnered with Councils (City of Sydney, Randwick, Parramatta), Corporates (Jones Lang Lasalle), State Government (NSW Government) and Not-For-Profits (Stride, CASS). We can also work with family and/or friendship groups.
Our programs are based on research which shows that supervised, moderate to intense exercise for 150 minutes a week for 8-12 weeks can assist to alleviate the symptoms of mild to moderate mood disorders.
Our signature 4WWW has been co-designed by a Psychologist and Masters of Coaching graduate. Our programs can be tailored to suit small and large groups in both face-to-face and virtual settings. Over 70% of participants report an increase in both mood and physical activity levels upon completing our programs.
We need support for to deliver our 4WWW program to vulnerable people
We are looking for sponsorship partners who can help fund
Your involvement would demonstrate your support for this unique and much-needed cause. Sponsorship could provide the following opportunities:
In-house exercise programs
Our programs are suitable for anyone - and we have already tailored the 4WWW to work in a company setting for employees and managers to improve their mood - especially given the huge disruption to work practices driven by COVID-19 and the new approach to hybrid work that is sweeping the nation.
We can offer the option of running the 4WWW for your employees at a rate that will also subsidise our program for vulnerable Australians
Staff engagement
Promotional Opportunities
We can offer tiered sponsorship arrangements depending on the level of support ranging from:
You can join on the website here. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us via the button at the bottom of each page or phone our Operations Manager on 0412 190 842; our referral procedure is informal, although it does help us to know of your referrer (GP, psychiatrist, psychologist, community mental health centre etc) if any.
membership and the 4WWW are free as they are subsidised by our sponsors and partners. the supported exercise classes attract a small fee, generally $5.00, payable at the time of booking. Don't worry, if you have to cancel we can generally refund your fees anyway (as long as you don't leave it to the last minute).
We use the DASS (Depression, Anxiety & Stress Scales) and RDQ (Remission from Depression Questionnaire) and a depression symptom checklist to assess mood functionality of each participant when you join.
Yes. We normally require that you undertake the free 4WWW course prior to attending supported exercise classes, but if this is not possible for you, please contact us to discuss your specific needs. We will try at all times to help.
Yes, our Casual classes are designed to help you keep up your exercise routine. We do, however, encourage you to improve your confidence to the point where you can access the much wider range of exercise classes provided by community gyms such as PCYC or commercial gyms in your local area. If you can do this, then you can give yourself a pat on the back. If this takes a while (or you never get there), we will always welcome you at Mood Active classes.
Yes. Whether yoga, circuit fitness, cardio tennis, or any of our classes, all our trainers are fully accredited, insured and First Aid certified. We require all our trainers to be vaccinated for COVID-19, including keeping up-to-date with boosters.
No, we run group exercise classes. All our trainers and committee members do however have an interest in and commitment to exercise as an invaluable therapy option for treating depression and other mood disorders.
No formal referral letter is required. You can either call or text our Operations Manager on 0412 190 842 or use the contact form to pass on your client's details and our Operations Manager will get in touch with them. Your client can also contact us directly.
We work with people suffering from a range of mood disorders: depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post-natal depression and PTSD. The program is not suitable for patients suffering acute psychosis and/or at immediate risk of self-harm.
Our trainers have experience helping people who are struggling with depression/anxiety, and have access to advice and guidance from a clinical psychologist. If you would like us to stay in contact with you regarding your client’s progress we are happy to do so.
Mood Active is an incorporated association and is also registered with the Australian Charities and Not for Profits Commission (ACNC). ABN: 89 374 919 389
The committee is currently made up of five people with expertise in group exercise, psychology research, media & communications, events and finance. The day to day management of Mood Active is undertaken by the General Manager, accountable to the Committee.
Yes. Information on all our participant assessment forms is protected by our constitution and we have procedures to ensure its confidentiality. We will only follow-up with your referring GP or psychologist/counsellor if you are happy for us to do so.
No, however, our programs and classes are eligible for NDIS funding from your plan. If you have any queries on this matter, please consult your plan manager.
Grants, program contributions from participants; donations/sponsorship (private & corporate); our own fund-raising events.
You can help us to keep Mood Active classes going by making a donation via PayPal - see the tab on the right hand side of the page - and keep your tax deductible receipt!
Yes. Mood Active is endorsed by the ATO for Deductible Gift Recipient Status (DGR).
Yes. Cert no. CFN 23385.
Yes. Our financial reports are audited annually by Sea Change Accounting.
Yes. We have transparent authorisation procedures in place for all expenses and payments.
Yes. Public liability & professional indemnity insurance. Lloyds Policy no. GL2372 and AL0063.