MEDIA RELEASES

MEDIA RELEASE

Tuesday 17 August 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

LIVE4LIFE WINS NATIONAL PROGRAM EXCELLENCE AWARD

Sydney, 6 August 2026 — Rural youth mental health and suicide prevention organisation Live4Life was announced as winner in the Mental Health Program Excellence category at the prestigious Mental Health Service Awards of Australia and New Zealand held in Sydney and emceed by ABC science journalist Natasha Mitchell.

The award recognises an organisation or team that operates with the focus on a whole community or population. For a small organisation to have its work recognised at a national level is testament to the extraordinary reach and impact achieved in the 16 years since Live4Life was first established. 

Accepting the honour on the evening, Live4Life Director Communities and Impact Cathryn Walder said that young people growing up in rural and regional communities face challenges which are distinct from those in metropolitan areas, and have significantly less access to mental health services. They are at greater risk than their metro counterparts of anxiety, depression, self harm and suicide.

Live4Life is unique because it is a youth-centred, whole-of-community activation designed specifically for rural and regional Australia. Live4Life was developed in a single local government area in 2010. It was a decisive and groundbreaking community response instigated and informed by lived experience, which has gone on to be implemented in 14 communities across Victoria and Tasmania and reach over 41,000 young people. 

Live4Life addresses the inequity experienced by rural and regional communities. It relies on, and responds to, a substantial body of evidence which demonstrates its effectiveness. Most importantly, it centres young people themselves as agents of change, as mental health advocates and as role models for their peers.

Eleven Awards across eight categories were presented by TheMHS Awards Ambassador Professor Lisa Brophy and Awards founder Roger Gurr AM. The Mental Health Service Awards have been recognising excellence, innovation and best practice in mental health in Australia and New Zealand for over 30 years. 

Other finalists for the Program Excellence Award were NSLHD Mental Health Drug and Alcohol service, Walsh Trust, and New Zealand Rugby.

QUOTES

“TheMHS (The Mental Health Services) Awards recognise extraordinary contributions, innovation, and excellence in mental health services across Australia and New Zealand. Winning this award highlights exceptional dedication and is a significant milestone that places Live4Life at the forefront of mental health leadership.”

Lynne Dunbar, TheMHS Awards Manager, TheMHS Learning Network

"I want to thank the over 2100 Year 9 and 10 students who have volunteered as mental health ambassadors — and their communities — who every day show us we can make a difference. We can counteract stigma. We can build a culture of support. This award is theirs and testament to the hard work, care, compassion and collaborative spirit which is powering a positive change in the lives of young people growing up in rural Australia."

Cathryn Walder, Live4Life Director Communities and Impact 

“Live4Life was born in Victoria but it addresses a nationwide need for stronger prevention and early intervention in rural and regional communities. This TheMHS award is great recognition of a proven prevention system built over a decade and a half — one which complements clinical services by improving mental health literacy, strengthening trusted adult networks, building community capability and supporting earlier identification and intervention.”

Jeremy Wiggins, Live4Life CEO

"I first got involved because I wanted to understand more about mental health — not just for myself, but so I could help my friends and others around me. I’d seen people I care about struggle, and sometimes I didn’t know the right words or actions to support them. Live4Life gave me the skills and the confidence to step up in those moments. Through the program, I learned how to start conversations that matter, how to notice when someone might be going through a tough time, and how to connect them with the help they need.”

Year 9 mental health ambassador, Wellington Shire, Victoria