Victorian Minister for Mental Health pays Live4Life a visit

Minister Ingrid Stitt at the Live4Life office in Woodend on June 27

We were delighted to welcome the Minister for Mental Health, Ms Ingrid Stitt, to Live4Life headquarters in Woodend on June 27.

With the recent Victorian State Budget allocating $3.8M to suicide prevention and Live4Life one of five organisations to receive funding, it was a perfect opportunity to meet the Minister in person and present some first hand accounts of the impact Live4Life is having across rural and regional Victoria.

"I want every young Victorian who is struggling with their mental health to know that support is available — we're delivering extra services right across the state, tailored to young people," Ms Stitt said.

Attending the meeting were Crew4Life members Laura, Talon, Mina and Matilda, who all spoke of their experiences of Live4Life in their time at school and how their participation in Live4Life activities has formed a significant part of their post-school life.

Mayor Macedon Ranges Shire, Annette Death

Talon Gostelow said: “I feel as though Minister Stitt came with a genuine interest to understand our (the youth) challenges. Challenges sprouting from technology not previously seen thirty years ago. Challenges which Live4Life are one of few to accurately prevent against. I'm motivated knowing that there's someone statewide holding the line for Mental Health, supporting the unstoppable force that is Live4Life."

Principal of Braemar College Russell Deer was also in attendance and offered some insights on how Live4Life contributes to the culture of a major secondary school in a rural area. Representing the founding community of Live4Life, Mayor of Macedon Ranges Shire Council, Annette Death, provided a crucial perspective, regarding the impact Live4Life has had on the whole community, where it has been running successfully for 14 years.

Live4Life staff, including CEO Bernard Galbally and Deputy CEO & Director of Impact and Strategy Rebecca Morecroft, were able to provide some critical context on the growth and reach of Live4Life — now in 13 Victorian rural and regional Local Government Areas and, in the last year, passing the incredible milestone of over 21,000 young people receiving evidence-based mental health education.

We very much appreciate Minister Stitt taking the time to get to know our organisation in depth. Live4Life is grateful to the Victorian Government for its ongoing support of our groundbreaking prevention program. Together we can achieve lasting generational change in rural and regional Victoria's mental health outcomes.

Photos by Lisa Saddington Photography.