Sarah Murdoch, 50, shows off her timeless beauty in a designer summer dress as she launches a toolkit to help Australian children cope with natural disasters.
- Sarah Murdoch dazzles at charity event in Manly, Sydney
- Sarah and Lachlan Murdoch fund a toolkit to help rural children
- The tools are aimed at children affected by natural disasters
Sarah Murdoch was the star of the show at the launch of a new initiative to help Australian children cope with natural disasters.
Ms Murdoch, 50, stunned in a designer linen midi dress Thursday featuring a hand-printed Australian floral pattern as she helped launch a new resource kit to support parents of children emotionally affected by bushfires and floods.
She was also wearing a dainty tennis bracelet and chunky sports watch as she stepped onto the podium at the event in Manly, on Sydney’s northern beaches.
Sarah Murdoch was the star of the show at the launch of a new initiative to help Australian children cope with natural disasters on Thursday.
Ms Murdoch, 50, stunned in a designer linen midi dress with a hand-drawn Australiana floral print.
Ms. Murdoch was in a good mood, joking and throwing herself at children and adults, but she also had a serious message.
The Royal Far West Resilient Kids Toolkit is a physical package containing a parent’s guide, picture book, therapy toy, and various mental health resources.
Four thousand of the kits will be sent to families in rural and remote communities in New South Wales that have been affected by natural disasters.
Ms. Murdoch was inspired to get involved after learning that children can lose their sense of security, develop mental health issues, and struggle at school after a disaster or emergency.
Charity Royal Far West said the impacts of natural disasters on children can include nightmares, intrusive memories, moodiness, anxiety, lack of concentration, stomach aches, headaches, irritability, friendship difficulties, difficulties with school work and an increase in family conflicts.
Research has shown that children born in 2020 will experience an average of 30 extreme heat waves in their lifetime, seven times more than someone born in 1960.
Ms. Murdoch was in a good mood, joking and throwing herself at children and adults, but she also had a serious message.
She was inspired to get involved with the Royal Far West Resilient Kids Toolkit after learning that children can lose their sense of security, develop mental health issues, and struggle in school after disasters.
RFW Executive Director Jacqueline Emery said experiencing a traumatic event like a wildfire or flood can have a devastating long-term impact on a child’s mental health, emotional well-being, learning and development.
‘The impact is magnified if children are not given adequate support to process what they have been through in the months and years following the disaster. Recovery takes time.
‘For children in rural and remote areas, where most of the impacts of natural disasters are felt, trauma is compounded by difficulty accessing vital health and wellness services and the support they need.
‘While access to services is key, building the capacity of parents with effective tools and information, like the Resilient Kids Toolkit, can make a fundamental difference.’
A father holds his daughter as the sky over Mallacoota turns red during the day on January 4, 2020
The toolkit, aimed at children aged 16 and under, will be distributed to families in NSW and also has a online guide.
It’s one of several charitable initiatives that the Sarah and Lachlan Murdoch Foundation has helped fund since 2019.
His foundation has donated $10 million to nonprofit organizations, including children’s, arts, medical and women’s charities.