Over the last 10 weeks, our programs team reached thousands of high school students across the country through 121 school and university programs;
In Victoria, we headed to schools across the state, including Western suburbs such as Melton, down South to Geelong and Casey, and reached students at schools within Metro Melbourne.
In South Australia, we visited a number of schools in Adelaide, delivering batyr@school programs to hundreds of students.
In New South Wales, we delivered programs far and wide across the state! We reached school students and teachers across metro Sydney and Blue Mountains areas, and toured the Southern Highlands, Southern Tablelands, South West Slopes, Central West, Hunter and Mid-north Coast regions. And of course, we've also delivered programs with our three NSW university partners, including connecting with students at the regional USYD campus in Camden.
In Queensland, we travelled to Far North Queensland to connect with the community and deliver a number of preventative mental health programs alongside Made Concepts, who were delivering a basketball competition in Townsville and Cairns.
"As a person going through grief & a rough time I'll put an effort into following the steps"
Year 10, Hazel Glen College, VIC
"I feel more confident with asking for help and helping my friend out"
Year 10, Canobolas High School
"I think I really needed to hear this. Listening to your inspiring stories has helped me feel better about my own experiences"
Year 9, Bridigine College, NSW
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Mental Health Changemakers
We're excited to share the incredible results of our Mental Health Changemakers (MHCM) project in Richmond Valley. Supported by the NSW Government, this initiative empowered local young people to lead mental health efforts in their communities, particularly in the face of limited services and the aftermath of recent floods. The progress in breaking down stigma and fostering resilience has been inspiring, and we're deeply grateful to everyone involved.
Learn more and read the full report
Being Herd
This quarter, we trained 44 young people through 6 workshops, empowering them to share their lived experiences in a way that is both safe and impactful. Our storytellers also engaged in various initiatives beyond our regular programs, making their voices heard on a national scale.
A highlight was Ben’s interview with The Advertiser for a national four-part documentary series that delves into the effects of COVID-19 on young Australians. Our storytellers also contributed their perspectives to Suicide Prevention Australia’s consultation, which is helping to shape new suicide prevention legislation in NSW.
Our storytellers actively participated in events hosted by external organisations, where they shared their experiences and joined panels at documentary screenings, webinars, and more. These opportunities allow our storytellers to continue making a meaningful difference, helping to shape conversations around mental health and suicide prevention across different platforms.
"Being Herd was pivotal in not only shaping how I understood my mental health, but it also showcased how I could lean into my lived experience of mental ill health as expertise towards a career. After taking part in Being Herd, I was inspired to work in the mental health sector, which I then transitioned from into a designated lived experience role in a public mental health service. Being Herd supported me to see that my mental health story, one which I held deep shame around in the past, was actually one of courage and resilience to be proud of. It showed me that there is inherent strength and expertise in my lived experience, and I feel privileged to be able to use it in my career."
Tharindu
batyr Storyteller, July 2024
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OurHerd
We launched a brand new feature on OurHerd that makes sharing your story even easier: Story Roulette! We know opening up can be challenging, so Story Roulette offers single-question prompts to help you reflect and share in a way that feels comfortable and meaningful. With questions like ‘How has a friend supported you through a tough time?’ and ‘What's your favourite thing to do for self-care at the moment and why?’, this feature is designed to start conversations, create change, and build connections within our community.
Share your story on OurHerd
Community Events
This quarter we continued to encourage young people to swap out social media for safe mental health stories on the OurHerd app. In Brisbane, we took part in Roses In The Ocean’s World Suicide Prevention Day event, sharing the power of lived experience stories in helping to decrease stigma and encourage help-seeking.
In NSW, we headed to Hunter Mental Health and Wellbeing Expo in Newcastle and the Sydney Careers Expo in Moore Park. The batyr team engaged with students, teachers, and community members on how they manage their mental health, sharing the OurHerd app as well as free printed mental health resources which were a big hit! and spoke to hundreds of local students about mental health and OurHerd. .png)
We were thrilled to partner with SMASH Sydney Anime and Manga Show this year to host their sensory space where attendees could chill out with some therapeutic wellbeing activities. Our storytellers along with batyr staff attended, providing support to attendees who were experiencing distress and/or needed some time out. We also joined thousands on the conference floor to chat about how anime and manga have played a part in their mental health journey.
We marked RUOK Day by supporting our university volunteers in creating welcoming spaces for self-care and connection. Activities ranged from pot-painting at UTS to cookie decorating at Sydney University, and mindful colouring at Southern Cross University. At the University of Newcastle, a healthy eating stall combined nutritious snacks with conversations about mental health, helping students practise better well-being through small but meaningful actions.
We also partnered with 1 Elizabeth Street to hold batyr’s Self-Care-Canvas on RUOK Day, which saw over 200 participants take a break during their workday to contribute to 3 large paint-by-numbers artworks designed by Sydney artist Almendra Trevino.
A big thank you to our amazing volunteers for coming along and helping at these events!
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Growing our community and impact through fundraising initiatives and events
August was an incredible month for our 9FOR9 campaign, with hundreds of people taking on various wellbeing challenges to support batyr. This is the fourth year that 9FOR9 have supported us, and it’s since grown into a powerful movement that builds social connection and positive habits. From 9-minute cold water dips to 9km runs and 9-minute breathwork sessions, participants showed up to brave the elements and push their limits. Thanks to this amazing community who have raised a total of$173,954 over the years.
A special shoutout to our supporters Becs and Heath, who took on the Ski-erg World Record. Not only did they break the previous 24-hour record, but they went on to complete an incredible 48 hours non-stop on the Ski-erg. Their dedication to raising awareness for mental health and our work was so inspiring and we’re grateful for their bold support! On the same day, 99 dedicated participants also took in the iconic City2Surf, running from Sydney CBD to Bondi Beach.
Our CEO Katie Acheson and Head of Philanthropy Lucy Steggles joined the annual LAWSKI event in Thredbo, NSW, who chose batyr the charity beneficiary for the second time. A huge thank you to the incredible LAWSKI volunteer committee, the sponsors, and everyone who donated auction prizes and contributed to the evening.
We were also incredibly honoured to take part in the Gresham Partners Milestone event, celebrating 26 years of generous giving by the Gresham Charitable Committee. Along with our storyteller Katie, we had the privilege of pitching batyr in front of Gresham staff, alongside four other inspiring charities. We were honoured to place second and receive a remarkable $50,000! It was a night filled with powerful stories, deep connections, and a shared commitment to doing good. Thank you, Gresham, for your generosity and support!
Partnering with Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation
In August, Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation announced batyr as a charity beneficiary of their Kindness in Community campaign.
The Born This Way Foundation, established in 2012 by Lady Gaga (Stefani Germanotta) and her mother Cynthia Germanotta, is dedicated to empowering and inspiring young people to create a kinder, braver world that champions inclusivity and mental wellness. The foundation’s mission is to make “kindness cool” and to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health.
In a recent announcement about the grants, Cynthia Germanotta, who also serves as the foundation’s president, shared: “It’s my daughter’s and my vision to be able to act on the research and thousands of conversations we’ve had with young people globally, where youth have asked for responsive services and programs that meet their needs and support their mental health and whole wellbeing.”
Around 1,100 nonprofits applied for the funding, and we’re incredibly grateful to be chosen amongst a handful of Australian organisations including our friends at ReachOut, Minus18, Flourish Girl and Project Rock It. The funding we receive from the Born This Way Kindness In Community Fund will support the delivery of batyr@school and batyr@uni programs across Australia.
"Our work is more critical than ever. We know that our work on the ground is pivotal in lessening the impact of the devastating youth mental health statistics we are faced with here in Australia and globally. It’s partnerships like this that enable us to lead the charge against mental health stigma and ensure that every young person understands how to care for their mental health and those around them, before reaching a crisis point."
Katie Acheson
batyr CEO
Engaging with Government to amplify youth voices
This quarter, we continued to engage with local, state and federal politicians, connecting them with young people to share their stories and help inform a positive way forward for youth mental health.
The batyr team and storytellers met with MPs ahead of Queensland’s upcoming election to share our 5-year plan to grow lived experience and peer-to-peer prevention programs in the region. We also met with Mary O’Hagan, Director of Lived Experience for the Victorian State Government, to discuss our work in the youth lived experience space. Assistant Minister for Mental Health & Suicide Prevention, Emma McBride, met with 2 of our storytellers to talk about their experiences and journey with batyr.
Over the last 10 weeks, we also met with;
We’d like to thank them all for making the time to meet with us and learn about batyr’s work and impact.
We have lots of exciting opportunities for you to get involved with as we head into the last quarter of the year! You can #WearYourSupport during Mental Health Month by purchasing one of our limited-edition batyr jumpers. Rally your club, organisation or workplace to get involved in a fundraiser, including our upcoming Splash the Stigma campaign returning this summer! You can also share your own story of hope on the OurHerd app and through our upcoming Being Herd workshops.
If you need mental health support, there’s always someone to lean on - you can reach out to these support services if you need.