Quarter 2, 2026 - Impact Update

Over the last 10 weeks, our programs team reached 5,266 young people across the country.

• In New South Wales, our team has continued delivering preventative mental health education where it's needed most. This quarter, we worked with young people in Engadine, Hoxton Park and Chatham, creating safe spaces for students to build mental health literacy, reduce stigma and strengthen confidence to seek support early.
• In Queensland, we continued expanding our reach with young people on the Gold Coast, delivering our preventative mental health programs to students in the region. By bringing lived experience into classrooms, we're helping create environments where young people feel more confident speaking openly about mental health and seeking support before challenges reach crisis point.
• In Victoria, we headed to Hawthorn, Caulfield, Mentone, Aberfeldie, Mickleham, Donnybrook, Kew, Wheelers Hill, Mentone, Glen Waverley, Narre Warren, Travancore and Donvale. Our programs brought together students to explore mental health, hear powerful lived experience stories and build the skills to support themselves and those around them.

After the programs, students shared:

• "Your speakers were really engaging and easy to listen to and I really liked how easy and comforting your speakers were.” 
• “It was entertaining, it made me look and think about how some things may affect others” 
• "For myself, I will stop thinking of others and focus on myself. For others, I will regularly check up on them and support them."

This quarter, we trained 36 young people through 6 lived experience 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. After the workshops, participants shared:

• "The Being Herd workshop taught me not only to have the confidence and courage to share my story, but also that everyone has lived experience that they have learnt and grown from and that felt truly empowering to be a part of and to hear those stories in a safe environment" 
• "Doing this workshop was even better than I expected - it was really nice to be able to sit and think about how to pull my story together into a motivating piece to share with others, while also hearing others' stories too." -
• “I had confusion in terms of what part of my story I wanted to share. What part of my story was worth sharing. What was most important to me. What I felt comfortable sharing. Doing the storytelling workshop answered all these questions. I found myself confident sharing my story. I felt heard sharing my story. I felt like my story made a difference.
• “Attending the Being Herd Workshop provided me with a space to validate my own experience and truly realise that there are other people going through something very similar as well. Having a supportive environment to share my story extensively reinforced to me the journey is valuable.”

This quarter also created additional engagement opportunities for batyr storytellers beyond our core programs. Ella spoke at the Melbourne UnLtd Big Chats event, sharing her lived experience and highlighting the importance of safe storytelling. Bella presented at the Fort Street Future Leaders event, reflecting on her journey as a batyr storyteller and her broader leadership development. Charlie also shared his story at the batyr Founder & CEO’s VIP Supporter Lunch, taking part in a Q&A with Pat and offering insight into his personal experience and the impact of storytelling in driving connection and understanding.

We’re excited to launch Amplified Voices -  a free advocacy training program for young people who want to use their lived experience to help shape a better mental health system.

Amplified Voices goes beyond storytelling, supporting participants to deepen their understanding of systems change, build practical advocacy skills, and explore how lived experience can be shared safely and effectively to influence policy, services and decision-making. Whether they are just starting out or already using their voice for change, the program is designed to strengthen confidence, grow impact, and connect young people with a community passionate about improving mental health outcomes across Australia.

We also launched the batyr Lived Experience Network, a new way for organisations to connect with highly trained young people who bring supported, professional lived experience into spaces where change happens. The Network enables partners to work alongside batyr Storytellers across a range of engagement and advocacy opportunities, including keynotes, consultation and advisory work, co-design and project collaboration, content creation, media and campaign activity, government and policy engagement, as well as panels, workshops and moderated discussions. It represents an important step in ensuring lived experience continues to sit at the centre of decision-making and sector reform.

In April, we hosted Regional & Rural Youth Voices: Shaping the Future of Mental Health, a two-day workshop bringing together young people from regional and rural communities across Australia to share their experiences and help shape the future of youth mental health.

The workshop created a space for young people to connect, share their lived experiences, and speak openly about the unique barriers they face accessing mental health support outside major cities. From long wait times and limited services to the impact of distance and stigma, their insights highlighted the urgent need for a more equitable mental health system that supports young people before they reach crisis point.

We were honoured to welcome Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who joined the workshop as listeners and supporters, helping shine a global spotlight on the challenges facing young people in regional and rural Australia. Most importantly, the event ensured young people's voices remained at the centre of the conversation.

The ideas, experiences and recommendations shared throughout the workshop will now help inform future advocacy efforts and recommendations to government and decision-makers. It was a powerful reminder that young people are not just part of the conversation about mental health - they are leading it.

After nearly a year of walking through some of Australia’s toughest conditions, Mark Gresser completed his extraordinary Trek4YouthMentalHealth last month - covering more than 6,000km solo and self-supported, and raising an incredible $130,000 for batyr. Along the way, Mark’s journey captured the power of endurance, purpose and community support in driving real impact for youth mental health. We were also proud to welcome him into a batyr@school program in Sydney and have him join our Giving Day livestream to share his story with our community in real time.

In May, batyr CEO Patrick Darcy and Head of Major Gifts & Philanthropy Lucy Steggles attended the NEXUS Global Summit in New York, a global gathering of more than 500 changemakers focused on tackling some of the world’s most pressing social challenges.

While there, the team contributed to a panel discussion on building a tech future that puts people first, with a focus on youth mental health, online safety, AI, and the importance of centring young people in conversations about digital regulation and wellbeing.

The trip also created valuable opportunities to connect with global partners and organisations working across mental health and social impact, including discussions at the United Nations, the Clinton Global Initiative, and with international funders such as the Rare Impact Fund and Iconiq Impact, alongside Australian peers working in similar spaces.

In April, we also hosted our Impact Luncheon, bringing together corporate and philanthropic partners to hear firsthand about the mental health challenges facing young people today, and the collective role we can play in building healthier, more resilient futures. Hosted by batyr’s Chair and CEO, the event also shared key highlights from 2025 and outlined our priorities and direction for 2026 and beyond.

We were proud to be part of the Sydney VegRun, an event that brought together thousands of people around community, movement and wellbeing. Co-hosted by the Buddha's Light International Association, Nan Tien Temple and the Buddhist Council of NSW, the event celebrated connection and collective care, while also raising vital funds for youth mental health. We're incredibly grateful to the Hsing Yun Education Foundation for their generous $5,000 donation, which will help us continue delivering life-changing mental health education to young people across Australia.

In Melbourne, our storyteller Ella took to the stage at UnLtd's Big Chat: Good Stories event, sharing her lived experience with honesty and courage. In front of a packed audience, Ella not only shared her own mental health journey but also highlighted the importance of early intervention, stigma reduction and the work batyr does alongside young people every day.

We also connected with young people and community members at the Positive Futures Expo in Northern Adelaide, the National Suicide Prevention Conference, the Neo Teen Takeover at the Art Gallery of South Australia, and the Queer Careers Expo in Sydney. These events provided valuable opportunities to engage directly with young people, share mental health resources, and learn more about the issues impacting their wellbeing.

On the NSW Central Coast, we spoke with local young people during Youth Week about the impact of Australia's social media restrictions and what they mean for connection, belonging and mental health. The conversations highlighted the importance of listening to young people's perspectives when decisions affect their lives, and reinforced our commitment to ensuring young people's voices remain at the centre of conversations about wellbeing and mental health. 

Across the mental health sector, organisations and services are continuing to take important steps to improve access to support for young people. Here are a few recent updates from across the sector that are helping strengthen the mental health support system for young Australians;

• A new national body, the Australian Association of Peer Workers, has been established to recognise, support and grow the mental health and suicide prevention peer workforce across Australia. Backed by the Australian Government, it will strengthen training, standards and career pathways for peer workers, while elevating the role of lived experience across mental health services, policy and system reform. Read more.
• The 2026 National Stigma and Discrimination Report Card was released by the National Mental Health Commission in partnership with SANE Australia and the University of Melbourne. It provides the first nationally representative picture of how stigma and discrimination impact people living with mental health challenges. While awareness of mental health has improved, the report found that many Australians continue to experience discrimination in employment, healthcare, housing and relationships, with people living with more complex mental health conditions facing the greatest barriers. The findings reinforce that reducing stigma requires more than awareness alone – it requires sustained action across governments, workplaces, health services and communities to create meaningful change. Read the full report.

Blue Tie Ball tickets are also on sale now. Join us at ILLUMINA Sydney on October 9th for an unforgettable night of entertainment and impact in support of youth mental health, featuring a special performance from Brent Street, known for their Golden Buzzer moment on America’s Got Talent. Every ticket directly supports our vital work empowering young people with the mental health education, storytelling and support they need early. Book your ticket now!

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