Quarter 1, 2026 - Impact Update

Over the last 10 weeks, our programs team reached over 3,800 young people across Australia;

• In New South Wales, funding from the White Elephant Ball supported four programs across the New England region, while Qantas funded two programs at Boorowa Central School as part of the Southern Tablelands tour. Through support from the PNI Foundation, we also delivered four programs at Cootamundra High School. These sessions saw strong outcomes, including 90% engagement, 95% recognising the power of storytelling, 95% feeling more confident supporting someone else, and 76% indicating they would seek informal support if struggling. Our NSW university programs also saw strong engagement, averaging 91%, with seven programs receiving a 100% engagement score from students. 
• In Queensland and Northern NSW, thanks to funding from Healthy North Coast, we delivered a Northern Rivers and Casino tour, reaching young people through three programs. Two sessions were delivered at North Coast Pathways School, an alternative education provider supporting students unable to engage in mainstream schooling. A third program was delivered at the Casino Youth Hub with students from Casino High School, featuring an adapted format that connected students with local youth and mental health supports. Representatives from headspace Lismore and Mission Australia attended to help strengthen awareness of services available in the community.
• In Victoria, we engaged more than 300 students during Swinburne University’s O’Week and Launch Week. Through a series of campus activations and mindful activities, the team created opportunities for students to connect, reflect on their wellbeing, and learn more about managing their mental health while navigating university life.

After the programs, students shared:

• “THANK YOU!!!! Your words are really inspiring”

• “Be more open and listen to my friends to allow them to feel safe to talk”

• “it was very helpful thank you :)”

• “To support someone close to me, I will listen and ask how they want me to help”

• “It was amazing and brought some really important messages and ideas forwards”

• “I would like to say it was very helpful and it was very engaging"

We also engaged students at the National Institute of Dramatic Art, UTS and the University of Sydney during O-week celebrations to share our new OurHerd@Uni Hubs! We were able to share a snapshot of how we’re building meaningful mental health conversations on campus beyond the classroom. 

University can feel overwhelming at the best of times, and often assessments and deadlines can take priority. The hubs are free, self-paced and available anytime featuring real student stories, a directory of support services on campus, self-guided wellbeing tips and eLearning.

This quarter, we trained 44 young people through 6 free Being Herd workshops, empowering them to share their lived experiences in a way that is both safe and impactful. Some of these young people will go on to share their stories of hope with thousands of students across the country as part of our batyr@school and batyr@uni programs. Check out some of the feedback from participants: 

• "Read transformation takes place in environments where one can be free and feel safe to express themselves fully. This workshop is prime ground for that. Spend your weekend, write your story, find your place. This is the place for it!"
• "The workshop was life-changing"
•  "The workshop is presented in a super accessible way. I felt safe and supported by the batyr team and getting to hear from a batyr storyteller was definitely a highlight. Great work, will definitely be sharing this course with others!"

This quarter also created additional engagement opportunities for batyr storytellers beyond our core programs. Storyteller Bec delivered a wellbeing session for a group of corporate professionals from My Finance Agent after the team reached out following earlier sessions we delivered with Loan Market Group. One participant was so inspired by the content that they wanted to bring a similar experience to their own workplace. Storytellers Jane and Vanessa also participated in a consultation with Beyond Blue and CSIRO, contributing lived experience insights to discussions exploring the drivers and scenarios shaping the future of mental health in Australia.

We also had the opportunity to connect internationally when MindHK brought 10 members of their Youth Advisory Council to Melbourne as part of a learning exchange. Our team spent a day with the group sharing insights on stigma reduction and safe storytelling, and exploring how lived experience can be shared in ways that support both the storyteller and their audience. 

“During our debrief that evening, it was evident that our YACs found the workshop extremely helpful. They discussed how it had helped them become more aware of safe language particularly when sharing their lived experiences." said the MindHK team. "It has also given them some ideas on how to safely discuss difficult mental health related issues when speaking to their peers. It was truly inspiring to see how much work is being put into empowering young people to own their stories and spread awareness.”

The visit created space for open discussion and learning between our organisations, with the MindHK team sharing that the session helped their young advisors feel more confident using safe language and discussing complex mental health topics with their peers.

We’re incredibly proud to share that this year’s Splash the Stigma campaign raised $122,710 for youth mental health. More than 150 participants across Australia committed their time, energy and networks to support young people experiencing mental ill-health.

As a result, batyr will now be able to reach an additional 4,090 young people with preventative mental health education programs in schools and universities - programs designed to reduce stigma and encourage help-seeking through lived experience storytelling.

The Blue Tie Ball returns this October, with tickets now on sale for our biggest night of the year. Bringing together supporters, partners and changemakers from across the community, the evening is an opportunity to celebrate impact while raising vital funds to support youth mental health.

Held on Friday 9 October at ILUMINA in Sydney, on the eve of World Mental Health Day, the Blue Tie Ball is a black-tie event with a disco twist - featuring powerful storytelling, live entertainment, exciting auctions and raffles, and a room full of people committed to backing young Australians.

We recently partnered with Pinterest and several leading creative agencies to explore new ways of connecting with young people online. Over the course of a month-long campaign, four creative teams tested different approaches to engaging youth audiences on the platform, delivering strong results with 1.48 million people reached, 1.47 million video views and nearly $40,000 in media value.

The campaign offered valuable insights into what resonates most with young audiences as the digital landscape continues to evolve. With changing platform use among young people, initiatives like this help batyr better understand where and how to show up in ways that feel relevant, creative and accessible - while building a foundation for future youth-focused campaigns.

Mark Gresser’s Trek4YouthMentalHealth continues to inspire communities across Australia. For the past eight months, Mark has been walking solo across some of the country’s most remote landscapes to raise funds and awareness for youth mental health, enduring extreme conditions including 45-degree heat, lightning storms, and long stretches with only a few hours of sleep. One of the toughest stages saw him cross the Strzelecki Desert - an 18-day, 463-kilometre journey where he had to repeatedly unpack and carry his supplies piece by piece up steep sand dunes too difficult to pull his cart across. 

This quarter, the batyr community rallied behind Mark through a special double donations campaign, raising more than $40,000 in just three days to support his mission. As Mark continues his journey toward Byron Bay by the end of May, supporters still have the opportunity to help him reach his incredible goal of $100,000 for youth mental health.

Across the mental health sector, organisations and services are continuing to take important steps to improve access to support for young people. From new digital platforms to expanded clinical training and specialised trauma services, these initiatives are helping ensure more young people can access the care they need, when and where they need it. Here are a few recent updates from across the sector that are helping strengthen the mental health support system for young Australians;

• MOST is a new free online service by Orygen that provides young people aged 15–25 with 1:1 support from qualified mental health professionals. Available by referral at participating youth mental health services in Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales, and the ACT, MOST offers personalised support alongside face-to-face care, bridging the gap between peer support and long waitlists. 
• Free trauma support for young Canberrans - The new youth trauma service is for young people aged 13–17, or up to 18 if still attending school, who live in the ACT and have experienced trauma or who are at risk of mental ill-health as a result of traumatic experiences.

• NSW GPs can train to diagnose and treat ADHD, making care faster, more accessible, and more affordable for young people and families. This means less waiting, more support close to home, and easier access to essential treatment for those seeking a diagnosis or ongoing care.

• SANE’s new-look Recovery Club is now open for registrations. This free, six-month program includes evidence-based recovery resources, one-on-one support sessions, online groups and peer connection through SANE’s community. All are designed to help you build confidence, develop practical skills and support your wellbeing and recovery, at your own pace. Open to anyone in Australia aged 18+.

• A recent visit from King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark to headspace South Melbourne highlighted the growing international focus on youth mental health. During the visit, the royal couple met with leaders from Orygen and headspace to discuss the impact of the headspace model and the importance of continuing to expand accessible, evidence-based support for young people. The visit recognised the global momentum behind youth mental health reform, with the headspace model now operating in more than 150 communities across Australia and inspiring similar services internationally, including in Denmark where Queen Mary is patron of headspace Denmark. Young people also had the opportunity to share their perspectives directly with the royal couple, reinforcing the importance of youth voices in shaping the future of mental health care.

Finally, in very exciting news, our Giving Day is back on June 11! For 24 hours only, every donation made to batyr’s Giving Day page will be tripled! Plus, we’ll be live-streaming exciting content throughout the day. Keep an eye out on our website, socials and our newsletter for more information and where you can tune in to support!

Want to get involved? There’s plenty of ways you can help us in our mission to ensure every young Aussie can lead a mentally healthy life. Shop our range of batyr merchandise, learn to share your story safely at a FREE Being Herd workshop, or book one of our newly updated batyr@school or batyr@uni programs for 2026!

If you need mental health support, there’s always someone to lean on - find a free, confidential support service below.