Sabrina’s Reach4Life (SR4L) creates public awareness around suicide prevention through community-based events. The founders draw on their lived experience to provide peer support to those bereaved by suicide, and assist adults who are struggling to get timely and appropriate support for young people.

They wanted to increase the capacity and confidence of local communities to better understand what a developing mental health problem or crisis looks like and develop the skills and confidence to offer support and apply behaviours that reduce the incidences of suicide.

Using a $20,000 In a Good Place grant SR4L developed ‘Heads Up’, a project that resulted in bespoke training across various locations in the Northern Territory.

In Darwin, a men’s only course engaged men aged between 27-73 on what the next steps can be once you discover a friend is struggling with their mental health. Topics involved a three-step action plan to apply if someone is feeling suicidal, which was fully embraced by participants. Feedback indicated that all attendees walked away with more confidence on how to sit alongside someone who was not doing okay.

Training in Litchfield was really successful, with lots of residents attending across two Sundays to learn more about recognising a developing mental health problem and subsequent action plan. Participants reported a significant shift in understanding following the training.

The training also engaged schoolteachers across the NT through a face-to-face Youth Mental Health First Aid course. Independent teachers from remote communities came from as far out as Nhulunbuy, facilitating cross-community connection and learning on how to best tackle the problem.

SR4L said, “These groups are traditionally difficult to engage. The funds really supported people to increase their knowledge and confidence around supporting someone who may not be travelling ok, as well as their own mental health.”

Grants up to $20,000 available to support wellbeing in rural areas

FRRR’s In a Good Place (IAGP) program is inviting applications for grants up to $20,000 for community-driven projects that strengthen the mental, social and/or emotional health and wellbeing of people living in remote, rural and regional places, particularly in farming communities.

This round, the IAGP program has $290,000 to support initiatives or activities that prevent or respond to mental wellbeing concerns. Priorities include increasing mental health education and understanding to reduce stigma; supporting people to build connections and reduce social isolation; and encouraging, supporting and enabling people to seek help for their mental health.

Thanks to FRRR’s donor partners, community groups and not-for-profit organisations (NFPs) can apply for grants through two streams of funding:

1. Community wellbeing: for projects that focus on strengthening the general mental health and wellbeing of people in remote, rural and regional communities.
2. Farmers and farming communities: for projects specifically supporting the mental health and wellbeing of farmers and the communities they live in.

Jill Karena, Head of Granting at FRRR, said that while Australia’s farming communities are incredibly vibrant and resilient, even the strongest person needs help from time to time.

“There is a legacy of silence and perceived stigma around speaking up and seeking support for mental health issues. Thankfully, in rural communities, this narrative is shifting.

“Together with our funding partners, we are supporting local groups to be part of that momentum and continue to challenge and positively shift perceptions about mental health in their remote, rural and regional communities.

“We want to fund initiatives that foster open and honest discussions around mental health, support the social and emotional wellbeing of vulnerable community members, and encourage farmers, and other community members concerned with their mental health, to seek support.

“We look forward to reading the project ideas put forward by community groups and not-for-profits across the country, and to be inspired by their positive, proactive and community-focussed, mental health initiatives,” Ms Karena said.

Groups seeking support must first lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI), which is due 14 February. Final applications from those shortlisted are due 11 March.

Learn more at: https://frrr.org.au/funding/place/in-a-good-place/. FRRR would also welcome more partners for this program. Potential supporters should contact [email protected] or call 03 5430 2399.

Through two In a Good Place (IAGP) grants, FRRR has helped support the establishment of the Castlemaine Safe Space – a peer-supported community drop-in space where locals can access mental health support and connect with others.

The first IAGP grant for $20,000 was awarded in 2021 to Castlemaine Community House to develop a pilot program, accessible to anyone with a desire to talk about mental health issues with a trained peer worker who has experienced mental health issues themselves. The funding supported the establishment and running of the space for a couple of sessions a week.

Despite several changes of venue, the pilot was very successful and proved the level of need in the community. The organisation – Castlemaine Safe Space – became an incorporated entity registered with the ACNC, and gained DGR1 status. It is now enjoying strong relationships with local health services.

Castlemaine Safe Space received a second IAGP grant of $13,000 in 2023 to help them strengthen and grow the service. The funding enabled them to employ a part-time project worker responsible for coordinating training for new volunteers, preparing shift rosters, arranging outreach and resourcing efforts, and developing new evaluation tools for the Safe Space. The grant was also used to purchase sensory equipment to support people experiencing heightened anxiety, and develop a communications plan to take advantage of local promotional opportunities so more locals knew about their service.

Castlemaine Safe Space proudly celebrated its second birthday in July 2024, and since becoming established, they’ve welcomed over 560 guests, trained nearly 40 peer volunteers and received more than 4,000 generous volunteer hours from community members.

They wrote that their experience with FRRR was excellent.

“We have found FRRR to be our most loyal supporter, with our initial grant allowing us to open our Safe Space two years ago, and this second grant allowing us to remain sustainable, provide training to our working group and peer volunteers, food and therapeutic resources for our guests and employ our Peer Volunteer Coordinator.

“We have found FRRR to be very easy to work with and undemanding in terms of restrictions and obligations to be met with our grants. We will always acknowledge FRRR as the organisation that helped us get up and running and provide ongoing support for our initiatives.

“FRRR has helped us provide a safe, calm and welcoming environment for local residents, reducing loneliness and isolation, providing a free, stigma-free place for those in emotional distress to go to, and subsequently reducing the factors that lead to suicidal thoughts and acts.

“Thank you FRRR for supporting us in our journey from the beginning up to now, when we have just secured a semi-permanent rental property allowing us to reduce the demands on our peer volunteers and feel more secure in the near future.”