Thirteen community groups and organisations in North Queensland have received grants to support local wellness and suicide prevention activities that meet the specific needs of people in their communities.
Funded by Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN), the grants are part of the Targeted Regional Initiative for Suicide Prevention (TRISP) program and are designed to promote effective, accessible, and affordable community-led activities to help those experiencing distress or who are at risk of suicide.
The grants focus on two types of community-led and innovative initiatives:
Project-ready initiatives: Projects that are already developed and ready to be launched or are already being implemented and need more financial support to continue.
Pitch-ready initiatives: A working concept or idea that needs financial support to become project ready. Pitch-ready grant recipients also have access to a free coaching program to help them turn their concept into a ready-to-launch initiative.
The groups and organisations that received the grants include:
Project-ready grants
Pitch-ready grants
NQPHN Interim Chief Executive Officer Ben Tooth said the grants would help address the factors that contributed to suicide in North Queensland.
"We know suicide can be linked to feelings of helplessness or being overwhelmed, as well as stressful life events such as relationship difficulties, social isolation, loss of a job or income, and financial or housing stress," Mr Tooth said.
"In the past 12 months, our teams have actively engaged with a diverse and inclusive range of people regarding community wellness and suicide prevention activities in North Queensland.
"We've been inspired by the innovative initiatives that have been created by and for the community, and more specifically for their local area."
Mr Tooth said the grants aimed to help groups and organisations support people to positively impact their life.
"Suicide prevention ideas from community groups and organisations include an Aboriginal men's health alliance, women's camps, help for carers, and a program for young neurodivergent people," Mr Tooth said.
"Project-ready initiatives include training staff, engagement and educational material, workshops for female veterans, a play and workshops for at-risk young First Nations people, a men's group, and a community action plan for the Bhutanese community of Cairns, which are all exciting opportunities and much needed in our communities."
Mr Tooth said he hoped to see more community wellness and suicide prevention grants go to groups and organisations in the future.
