Quarter 4, 2024 - Impact Update 

Over the last 10 weeks, our programs team reached more than 7,000 young people across QLD, NSW, ACT, VIC and SA. After taking part in the batyr program, 77% of young people said they would be able to support a friend going through mental ill-health.

• In Queensland, we delivered school programs in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, as well as Logan and Ipswich. We also delivered university programs at Southern Cross University and The University of Queensland.
• In New South Wales, we reached school students and teachers across metropolitan Sydney, Greater Western Sydney, the Central Coast, the Hunter region, the Southern Highlands, and the Central West. We also delivered programs at the University of Newcastle, the University of Technology Sydney, and the University of Sydney.
• In Victoria, we visited schools engaging students and teachers across metropolitan Melbourne, Greater Melbourne, and the Grampians region. We also reached university students at RMIT.
• In South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory, we visited schools and delivered programs at the University of South Australia and the Australian National University.
• We delivered five youth-focused ‘safeTALK’ workshops for school and tertiary students as part of the National Suicide Prevention Leadership and Support Program (NSPLSP), delivered in partnership with LivingWorks Australia and supported by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.

“I know that it's okay, it's a normal thing and to not feel alone. I've been through similar things and its hard but this has helped that stigma.” 

- Year 11 student,  Chevalier College, NSW

“I really identified with the story as I have been diagnosed with inattentive ADHD and I struggle with my mental health especially with the thoughts of "what's wrong with me?" 

- Year 11 student, Hazel Glen College, VIC

Being Herd

This quarter, we trained 20 young people through 4 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 what our participants had to say after attending the Being Herd workshops;

"I can't understate the positive emotional impact this workshop had on me. It reiterated my passion for storytelling and reignited my desire to learn from others."

"This workshop helped me pull my experiences out of my head and onto the page."

“The workshop was really good and made me realise how powerful storytelling can be. So grateful for the facilitators to create such a safe and engaging environment.”

batyr partners with Western Sydney University for 3-year program evaluation study 

We’ve kicked off our partnership with Western Sydney University on the longitudinal evaluation of our programs. Made possible by The Balnaves Foundation, this sector-leading project will help us understand the long-term impacts we are having on the lives of young people. Impact is at the forefront of everything that we do at batyr and our prior evaluations have led to this important and powerful piece of work. Data collection is set to begin in 2025 and will run for three years across our school and university partners.

Engaging with Government to amplify youth voices

After submitting to the Joint Select Committee on Social Media and the Australian Society, batyr was invited to present to the Joint Committee at Parliament in Canberra. batyr's Youth Advocacy Lead Abi Cooper delivered a powerful opening statement, bringing attention to the voices of young people into this important topic. 

We were featured on Channel 9 and the Today Show, sharing the youth mental health perspective for social media ban changes. 

Our storytellers actively engaged in government meetings and roundtables, sharing their experiences and contributing to critical discussions on mental health and suicide prevention; 

• Members of batyr’s National Youth Advisory Group Bella, Mel and Noa, alongside our Youth Advocacy Lead, Abi, were part of a roundtable discussion with Minister Rose Jackson where they had the opportunity to talk to the Minister about a range of issues facing young people including loneliness and help-seeking fatigue. They shared their insights and experiences on youth mental health and the importance of peer-to-peer education and lived experience storytelling in the mental health space.

• Storytellers Kaite, Kieran and Zara joined the batyr team at the NSW Government Social Media Summit where they used their lived expertise to provide support to attendees. The 2-day summit, focussed on exploring and addressing the impacts of social media in the lead up to state and federal legislation decisions.

• batyr storyteller, Grace and Lived Experience Coordinator, Alissa presented at the Australian Association for Adolescent Health (AAAH) Youth Health Conference. We also headed to Canberra to showcase batyr’s work and impact at the Parliamentary Mental Health Expo.

• batyr COO Bryony Tucker and Youth Advocacy Lead Abi Cooper attended a sector roundtable hosted by Minister Rowland on the Social Media Minimum Age Bill, which enabled us to gain critical insight and provide feedback into the Bill before it was voted on.

Community Engagement

In October, we had the opportunity to deliver two programs at the NSW Youth Council Conference, hosted in partnership with the City of Canterbury Bankstown. The event brought together young leaders from youth councils across NSW, offering workshops to help build their skills and connect with others passionate about making a difference in their communities.

During November, we also presented ‘The Power of Storytelling’ at the City of Ryde’s Youth Mental Health Forum at Epping Boys High School. The forum brought together 106 students from four schools and included 13 community stalls from organisations like headspace, KYDS, Lifeline, and Twenty10. It was an inspiring day focused on equipping young people with tools to support their mental health and encouraging open, meaningful conversations.

Partner initiatives with the Rare Impact Fund, Diona and Audi Foundation

Our Head of Major Gifts and Philanthropy, Lucy Steggles, attended the Rare Impact Fund Benefit event in Los Angeles, USA, with our partner the Rare Impact Fund. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with 25 preventative mental health charity partners from around the world, and hear from Rare Impact Fund’s founder Selena Gomez who shared some of her story at the event including why she’s passionate about youth mental health, education and stigma reduction. They raised $2 million through the benefit which will support their activities with their global charity partners (including us!).

We are also proud to continue our long-standing partnership with Diona at the 2024 Walk for Mental Fitness last month. For eight years, Diona has been a key supporter of our work, and this year’s Walk at New Farm Park was another incredible milestone. Bringing together leaders from the construction industry under the theme Safer, Stronger, Together, the event focused on raising awareness about mental ill-health and building a supportive community.

We’re thrilled to share a glimpse into In-Car Conversations, a powerful collaboration between Audi Foundation and batyr that’s driving change for youth mental health.

Through this mini series of impactful videos, we’re shining a light on lived experience stories that inspire hope, sharing tips to help parents and caregivers navigate important conversations, and offering actionable advice to support young people on their mental health journey.

Stay tuned for the official launch!

Growing our community and impact through fundraising initiatives and events

In the 10th anniversary of the event, the Blue Tie Ball raised an incredible $202,682.29, allowing us to reach an additional 6,756 young people across Australia.

Our annual Giving Day, our community raised $123,111 in 24 hours! These vital funds will help us reach another 3,094 young people with preventative mental health education, empowering them with tools and understanding that could be life-saving.

Tamworth’s White Elephant Ball also marked their 10th anniversary with an amazing evening that saw 380 attendees raise an incredible $87,088, which will help us support 2,902 young people in the region with mental health education.

We also teamed up with Fractel and Heaps Normal to introduce the Better Together capsule collection, a creative collaboration where 50% of profits directly support our programs, furthering our mission to empower young people to lead mentally healthy lives.

Connecting with Global Youth Mental Health Leaders during Churchill Fellowship

Our CEO Katie Acheson has recently returned from an incredible Churchill Fellowship, connecting with global leaders in youth mental health to explore best practices in prevention and participation. From peer-led programs at Student Minds in Leeds to innovative digital support at Kids Help Phone in Toronto, and impactful community approaches to youth mental health education at Jigsaw in Dublin, these connections are paving the way for future collaborations. By learning from and partnering with these global experts, batyr is strengthening its commitment to tackling youth mental health challenges in Australia and beyond.

As we wind down to the end of the year and look ahead to 2025, we want to sincerely thank you for your support over the last 12 months.

You can still get involved over the break, by signing up to swim in our annual Splash the Stigma campaign this February! You can also share your own story of hope on the OurHerd app, and learn from others’ experiences. 

If you need mental health support, there’s always someone to lean on - you can reach out to these support services if you need.