Quarter 2, 2024 - Impact Update 

Over the last 10 weeks, our programs team reached thousands of high school students across the country through 93 school and university programs; 

• In Victoria and South Australia, we delivered a stack of programs at schools across Melbourne, including Melton West, Ivanhoe, Eaglehawk, Mont Albert, Kew, Donvale, Modbury Heights and Docklands.
• In NSW, our crew also visited young people at programs across Cootamundra, Armidale, Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra, Bungendore, as well as Mittagong, St Ives, Revesby, Woolwich and Newcastle.
• In Queensland, we headed across Brisbane to deliver mental health education at Mount Gravett, Gold Coast, and Mitchelton. We received really positive feedback across the programs;

"I loved how engaging and positive the members of the program were. You're doing an amazing job through spreading your story." - Year 10 student, Armidale

"This program is very capable to change someone's life" - Year 10 student, Armidale

“I feel much more confident in helping friends around me” - Year 10 student, Queanbeyan

"The mental health story was VERY powerful!" - Year 9 student, Cootamundra

Program Evolution

We completed the first round of pilots for our ‘Program Evolution’ - an updated suite of school and university programs that are even more adaptable and accessible to the changing needs of young people, while also retaining the magic and impact of a batyr program. We ran 12 pilot programs with Year 9 and 10 students, as well as university students and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive:

• “It's a great program that opens up a comfortable environment to discuss mental health” - UTS Student
• “I properly learnt how to communicate my feelings with friends and trusted adults” - Year 9 Student

Roll out of the new program suite is planned for 2025.

Empowering more young people to safely share their story

We delivered 4 Being Herd workshops, training 19 young people to give a voice to their story in a safe and impactful way. Some of these young people will go on to share their stories of hope with thousands of students across the country.

Community Events

We were so pleased to attend a variety of different events over the last few months, as we aim to increase access to mental health education in communities across Australia. In Queensland, we reached hundreds of students at the Brisbane Careers and Employment Expo, and also attended Adelaide’s Propsych Mental Health in Schools Conference. 

In NSW, we chatted to local young people about how they look after their wellbeing at the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Careers Expo, Bring It On Festival in Fairfield, and the Northern Sydney District Colourflix Youth Week Event. 

At many of these events, our storytelling app OurHerd was well received by young people, and the level of interest and enthusiasm they showed in learning about OurHerd was incredibly encouraging. Some events were hosted for families, which led to interest from parents and carers as well. At one event, a young person shared, “This app is important because I often don’t feel supported by my school community,” highlighting the important role OurHerd plays in providing the support they need.

We were also invited along to speak at the Impetus Social Impact Evening, hosted by both Impetus Consulting Group and 180DC Monash. This event aimed at introducing Impetus members to the socially conscious side of consulting, with insights from their past and current clients on a discussion panel, including our Lived Experience Training Manager, Heidi. Our attendance provided a great opportunity to connect with Impetus volunteer consultants, socially-driven corporate partners and the broader student body.

Growing our community and impact through fundraising initiatives and events

Our second annual Blue Tie Long Lunch at The Gabba in Brisbane, QLD raised an incredible $30,194 to fund our preventative education programs in the region! We want to give a huge thank you to our special guests who made the day even more powerful: Aunty Deborah Sandy for her beautiful welcome to country, batyr storyteller Eleni, the talented musical artist Alex Crook, AFL legend Richard Champs and Australian Olympian and television personality Emily Seebohm for sharing her inspiring story. A thank you to the 100+ guests that came along to enjoy the afternoon with us, as well as all of the generous support of so many businesses who donated fantastic prizes for our auction and raffle!

In May, we also launched our brand new fundraiser, Stigma Free Streamers, which saw 15 participants go live for youth mental health with their favourite games and activities. It was so inspiring to see streamers from all walks of life helping to decrease mental health stigma and share batyr’s mission with their community - together they raised $11,622!  

Our community fundraisers have also been amazing over the last couple of months, including the girls at Australia Galaxy Pageants who annually fundraise and bring awareness for batyr as part of their community pageantry efforts. From hosting high teas and bake sales to recycling bottles, the girls got creative with their fundraising and together raised a MASSIVE $38,492! 

In Tamworth, over 100 people attended this year’s White Lunch. Joined by batyr CEO Katie Acheson and COO Bryony Tucker, the event brought the community together to talk about youth mental health. Alongside the White Elephant Ball which celebrates its 10th Anniversary this year, these events have allowed for batyr to reach and support over 15,000 young people through our school and university programs. 

Going Beyond Polite Responses

In April we launched our campaign ‘Going Beyond Polite Responses’ which challenges the cultural norm of responding with a simple ‘I’m good’ when asked about one’s wellbeing.  

We know that shame, embarrassment and fear often prevent young people from sharing how they feel and reaching out for the support they need before they reach crisis. The campaign encourages young Australians to move beyond surface-level responses and embrace honest dialogue, talking about how they really feel. 

Engaging with Government to amplify young people's voicesThis quarter, we engaged 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:

• Steve Paillas, Chief of Staff, Office of Assistant Minister Emma McBride
• Paddy Gartrell, Mental Health Liaison Officer, from the Office of The Hon. Rose Jackson, Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Youth, NSW 
• Ms Zoe Robinson, NSW Advocate for Children and Young People 
• Dr Marjorie O’Neill, MP for Coogee, NSW
• Mr Jason Yat-sen Li, MP for Strathfield, NSW
• Mr Henskens, MP for Wahroonga, NSW
• Mr Amon, MP for Pittwater, NSW 
• The Hon. Kevin Anderson, MP for Tamworth, NSW
• Ms Charishma Kaliyanda, MP for Liverpool, NSW
• Ms Brittany Lauga, Assistant Minister for Health and Regional Infrastructure,QLD
• Ms Ros Bates, the Shadow Minister for Health and Ambulance Services, QLD
• Education advisors from the office of Minister Ben Carroll, Deputy Premier and Minister for Education, VIC
• Advisors from the office of Natalie Suleyman's, Minister for Youth, VIC

We've got lots of exciting opportunities for you to get involved with as we head into the second half of the year! Early bird tickets for our annual Blue Tie Ball are now on sale, and you can register for an upcoming volunteer opportunity or fundraising event! 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.