On Wednesday 19 June, over 600 year eight students from secondary schools across Wellington gathered at the Gippsland Regional Sports Complex in Sale to celebrate the launch of Live4Life Wellington.
The event introduced the key elements of Live4Life's groundbreaking, peer-led, evidence-based, community impact model, which spans both suicide prevention and mental health/wellbeing education. Live4Life is the only program of its kind designed specifically for rural and regional areas.
Last month, 38 local students were inducted into the Live4Life Wellington crew, marking their first step towards becoming community leaders and Mental Health Ambassadors. The students from Sale Secondary College, Yarram Secondary College, Maffra Secondary College, Sale and District Specialist School, Gippsland Grammar, and Catholic College Sale attended the crew induction day and yesterday, proudly introduced themselves to the schools' audience, revealing the theme for 2024: 'Speak Kind, You May Just Change Someone's Mind'.
The launch event was attended by Wellington Shire Councillors, local community health service representatives and secondary school principals and featured inspiring guest speakers, live music, and engaging activities to promote mental health awareness.
Over the next 12 months, the Live4Life Wellington Crew will educate and support their peers to eliminate the stigma around mental health. A key activity to support this will be the delivery of free Mental Health First Aid training for every year eight student in the Shire, which will be delivered by adults who live and work in Wellington.
Wellington Shire Council Mayor, Cr Ian Bye shared his appreciation to the Live4Life program for their commitment to establishing a successful mental health program across all secondary schools in the Shire. Also thanking the John Leslie Foundation for supporting the program to get off the ground locally.
"Youth mental health is a cause very important to Council and our communities, and following the official launch, I can't wait to see this program go from strength to strength locally".
Cr Bye also shared "it was wonderful to experience the enthusiasm of local students. Their energy and ideas continue to be really impressive, and I am looking forward to seeing what the next year holds for this year's cohort".
Cr Bye reiterates the importance of programs like Live4Life, where young people can support each other with their mental health journeys.
"We want to encourage open discussions about mental health. This program has a significant impact, as it not only educates but also empowers our youth to take an active role in their mental wellbeing and that of their friends. Today marks an important step in our ongoing efforts to create a supportive and understanding community for everyone, especially our young people." Cr Bye said.
Wellington joins 10 other Victorian communities implementing the Live4Life model, where it has proven its effectiveness in growing mental health awareness and a help-seeking culture.
