In October 2024, the North-West Coast of Tasmania became the setting for a youth-led initiative focused on improving mental health conversations in rural and regional communities. The Jazz Thornton and THEIRS Tasmanian Tour, led by grassroots organisation THEIRS, reached hundreds of young people through school visits and a community-wide event.
THEIRS – an acronym for Talk, Hear and Help, Educate, Inform, Refer and Support – was formed in 2020 by a group of young Tasmanians determined to create meaningful change. While engaging with peers, they consistently heard the same message: young people were struggling with mental health challenges and a lack of accessible support services.
Backed by a $10,000 Heywire Youth Innovation Grant, funded by the David Mactaggart Foundation, the inspiration for the tour emerged organically. As one young person put it, “Wouldn’t it be amazing to have a celebrity like Jazz come to little old North-West and help us use our voice to say we need support here?” This thought became the foundation for a regional campaign.
Over three days, internationally recognised mental health advocate Jazz Thornton visited high schools and communities across Tasmania’s North-West. Known for her work as a filmmaker, author and co-founder of Voices of Hope, Jazz’s presence drew students and families from across the region to listen, share and connect.
Each session featured practical strategies for mental health support and suicide prevention, personal stories and engagement with trusted local service providers. The tour included sessions at Circular Head Christian School, Ulverstone High School, and Don College, with strong attendance from students attending Smithton, Wynyard and Burnie High Schools. The sessions served as a meeting point for students, educators, parents and providers – fostering relationships that have since evolved into sustained community partnerships.
Young people continued to play a critical role in the initiative’s design, as well as delivery. From choosing speakers and venues, to shaping evaluation methods (such as replacing traditional surveys with interactive Kahoot quizzes), the entire tour reflected the insights and preferences of its core audience – young people.
There was great community collaboration during the tour, boosting its success. THEIRS worked closely with respected regional organisations chosen by youth coordinators who helped to shape and deliver the program, including CORES; Man-Up Tas; Circular Head Aboriginal Corporation (CHAC); and Run for Tarkyn.
As always, the project faced some challenges. Last-minute policy concerns from the Department for Education, Children and Young People (DECYP) forced some schools to withdraw participation, including one with more than 1,000 students. Logistical hurdles also emerged when the lead speaker temporarily left Tasmania, causing disruptions to the event schedule. Despite this, the tour maintained its momentum with the help of committed volunteers and community partners.
This is a project with lasting impact that has strengthened Tasmania’s mental health service ecosystem. Service providers now collaborate more regularly, building on relationships formed during the tour and the event led to a surge in youth advocacy. Twelve new young people joined THEIRS as volunteers, increasing their total team to 22 and ensuring the sustainability of their mission.
The initiative also garnered national attention when it was spotlighted as a model for regional mental health engagement at a major conference in WA. Its success proves that innovation and impact are possible when local youth are empowered to lead solutions for the challenges they know best.