Mentally Healthy As Anything: Building a band at a psychosocial rehabilitation centre – Dougie D’s Small Project

Christiaan

July 18, 2026

Doug, Places, Platforms, Profiles, Psychosocial Centre, Sing With Me

The Band Mental Healthy As Anything

THE EUREKA CLUBHOUSE BAND. MENTALLY HEALTHY AS ANYTHING.

Mentally Healthy As Anything

A community rock band that brought people together.

Some projects start with a grant application. Some start with a strategic plan. This one started with Douggie and an idea.

Douggie wanted to start a rock band through a psychosocial rehabilitation centre. It was a simple idea, but it quickly became much more than music. Working alongside staff, members, volunteers and local supporters, we formed a band, organised rehearsals, applied for funding, completed training and performed at community events.

Along the way, the project received recognition through an award. But the award was never the point.

The real success was the community that formed around it. People who had often been defined by their struggles became musicians, organisers, performers and friends. Staff became collaborators rather than service providers. Family members, audiences and supporters became part of the journey.

Projects like this demonstrate the value of psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery-focused community participation, helping people build confidence, skills, relationships and a sense of purpose. (Health, Disability and Ageing Australia)

Mentally Healthy As Anything showed what can happen when an idea is given room to grow. A rock band became a vehicle for connection, belonging and opportunity. It remains one of the clearest examples of what a small project can achieve when a community gets behind it.

Project Lead: Douggie D
Platform: Musical Mission
Outcome: Funding secured, training completed, public performances delivered, award received, community engaged.

Douggie on bass in pink, Daniel the pro on guitar with goatee and myself in t-shirt with print. This was our first performance.

This is Daniel the professional musician we paid to make us a band. And this is Evi Van De Veit is the manager of Eureka Clubhouse who agrees we both have a vested interested in the same outcomes.

This is our first audience.

The band practising in their practice space at Eureka Clubhouse 6 Florence Street, Moonah, a psychosocial rehabilitation centre.

Front man for the band Christiaan is on the mic and standing with MC at street to stage battle of the bands.

The band playing at Street to Stage. Girlfriends in front of stage.

Mentally Health as Anything is Christiaan, Douggie, Nic and Karl. Christiaan and Douggie played their first gig ever in May 2023. Nic and Karl joined the band for the second gig, Street to Stage. Since then they have continued practicing at their practice space at Colony 47’s Eureka Clubhouse. They want music to be “a transformative experience for those on the bottom” with grassroots sharing.

Band tagged in a promotion poster for event at community centre.

Band poster advertising for members