IN THE MEDIA - Macedon Ranges born and bread health promotion charity, Live4Life, has officially expanded into 14 local government areas (LGA), with its youth mental health and suicide prevention program crossing state borders.

IN THE MEDIA - Health promotion charity, Live4Life, which was born and bred in the Macedon Ranges has now reached more than 21,000 young people with its recent expansion in 2024.

October saw the Live4Life Macedon Ranges community pack out the theatre at Braemar College for a grand celebration of the year’s achievements.

After visiting the Live4Life offices in Woodend, Rob Mitchell MP, Federal Labor Member for McEwen, spoke to Parliament about meeting Live4Life Crew and staff, and the work we are doing in rural and regional communities.

Star Weekly: A Woodend-based youth mental health organisation is calling for more funding from the Victorian government to scale up its rural and regional services to address its surging waitlist of communities wanting to be involved.

Star Weekly: The incredible work of Woodend-based Youth Live4Life was in the spotlight once again last week. When Youth Minister Dr Anne Aly visited the Macedon Ranges on Friday, February 10, McEwen MP Rob Mitchell took the opportunity to show her the work the youth mental health charity was doing.

A heartfelt thank you to Sarah from all the team at Youth Live4Life, for her incredible work including helping develop the award-winning Live4Life model, supporting us grow and reach more communities, and her advocacy for the mental health and wellbeing of young people living in rural and regional communities.

The Hon Dr Anne Aly MP, the Minister for Youth, and Mr Rob Mitchell MP, Federal Labor Member for McEwen, visited our offices on 10 February to meet with our Live4Life Crew in the Macedon Ranges.

Star Weekly: Mental health was one of the biggest personal challenges faced by 27 per cent of Victoria’s young people in the last year and Woodend-based mental health charity Youth Live4Life deals with the issue locally. Released this week, Mission Australia Youth Survey 2022 collated the responses of 5097 young people …

Star Weekly: Kyle Hayes from Sunbury said it was humbling to be named a finalist in the 2022 YACVic Rural Youth Awards. He was nominated in the category of Youth Worker Making a Difference for his work with Woodend-based youth mental health charity Youth Live4Life. “I am really proud of the achievement,” he said.

On November 19th, Macedon Ranges locals John Crozier, Jarrod McQuade and Lucas Paladino will be shaving off their long (not so luscious) dreadlocks! ‍One night the boys joked about shaving their dreads together. A month later, they are planning an event to raise money for Youth Live4Life with a goal of $20,000!!

Star Weekly: After two years of lockdown, Woodend-based Youth Live4Life is continuing the McKinney’s legacy, running LAP it UP from November 10 to 20 to raise funds for the organisation’s Live4Life initiative. Youth Live4Life chief executive Bernard Galbally said swimming was a “fantastic” exercise for the cause.

The Star Weekly: Youth Live4Life has been granted more than $750,000 over three years to support young peoples’ mental health and wellbeing across regional and rural Victoria. State Trustees Australia Foundation provided the grant to recognise the vital role Youth Live4Life plays as the only mental health education and youth suicide prevention model designed for rural and regional communities in the state. Youth Live4Life chief executive Bernard Galbally said the grant would help bring three new communities into the model.

The Star Weekly: Macedon Ranges council (MRSC) has been recognised for its unwavering commitment to improving the mental health of young people in the region. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Australia recognised the council with a ‘Mental Health First Aid Champion Community’ award, because of how hard it works to tackle the high rates of mental illness.

About 600 year 8 students across the Macedon Ranges attended four offical launches for the Live4Life youth mental health program last week.

Major shout out to Year 8s at Kyneton and Gisborne Secondary Colleges for their entries into the 2020 Macedon Ranges Live4Life Mental Health Promotion Challenge. This year's competition theme, as selected by our Crew was: Words can hurt heal

On Wednesday 26 September 2018, Youth Live4Life Inc. was awarded the Innovative Youth Project or Programs in Rural or Regional Victoria Award at the Youth Affairs Council of Victoria’s Rural Youth Awards.

Youth Live4Life, together with the Live4Life communities of Macedon Ranges Shire, Glenelg Shire and Benalla Rural City were awarded a 2018 VicHealth Award for the groundbreaking Live4Life initiative.

October is Victorian Mental Health Month. This year, the focus is on young people, particularly those aged 16-25.