These funds will be used to provide teen and youth mental health first aid training, a vital component of the Live4Life initiative, which equips young people with the skills to support their peers during mental health challenges.
This marks the third consecutive year that the Lockie Project has donated to Live4Life Benalla, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to supporting youth mental health in the Rose City.
The funds, raised through the sale of chocolate hearts in the lead-up to Easter at Goorambat Railway Hotel, Spot 4 Coffee, and the Live4Life Program, honour the memory of Lockie and Maddie, whose tragic losses in 2018 and 2019 inspired their family to create the Lockie Project.
The initiative aims to raise awareness and break the stigma surrounding suicide, the leading cause of death for young Australians.
Mayor Bernie Hearn expressed her appreciation for the Lockie Project’s ongoing contributions.
"We want to make sure all young people are given the opportunity to gain the skills they need to start a conversation with someone they might be worried about,” Cr Hearn said.
“I want to thank Gayle Golonski and her family for the awareness they are spreading in our community through the Lockie Project and for their very generous donation to Live4Life Benalla to continue this critical training for the youth of Benalla Rural City."
Since its launch in Benalla in 2017, the Live4Life program has trained over 2050 young people, and 227 adults, in teen mental health first aid.
The training provides young people with the tools to recognise when they or someone they know is experiencing mental health challenges and emphasises the importance of seeking support.
The Live4Life Benalla Partnership is a collaborative effort led by Benalla Rural City Council, working alongside Benalla P-12 College, FCJ College Benalla, the Australian Christian College, the Flexible Learning Centre, the Tomorrow Today Foundation, NETracksLLEN, Benalla Health and NESAY.
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