June 5th, 2025‘Kindness is key to being free’: New crew at Live4Life Hepburn launch
Live4Life Hepburn introduced members of the 2025 crew with a launch at Daylesford College last month.
The event was planned and MCd by the year 9 and 10 members of the Live4Life Crew and attended by representatives from Hepburn Shire Council, Central Highlands Rural Health, neighbourhood centres, Community Bank Daylesford District, the Daylesford Foundation and Daylesford RSL.
Twenty crew members welcomed staff, Partnership Group members and more than 80 year 8 students and outlined key mental health messages, introduced their 2025 theme of “Kindness is key to being free” and their mascot Dave the Daylesford wombat.
Dave does not judge but offers a listening ear and kindness, inviting those to share what troubles them and offer support.
The award-winning Live4Life’s groundbreaking, peer-led, evidence-based, community impact model spans both suicide prevention and mental health/wellbeing education.
Live4Life is the only program of its kind designed specifically for rural and regional areas. College principal Stephen MacPhail said he was proud of the students who put their hands up to be Mental Health Ambassadors as part of the Live4Life Crew.
“Their willingness to step forward, show leadership, and support the wellbeing of their peers speaks volumes about the kind of young people they are becoming. They are a real credit to the school.”
Mr MacPhail also did a shout-out to last year’s crew who had been great role models. More than a hundred year 8 and year 9/10 students from the college will take part in the Live4Life program this year.
The theme was devised by the members of the 2025 crew to express the importance of kindness as an essential part of starting a conversation about mental health.
The annual prevalence of mental ill health in young people aged 16 – 24 years has increased by more than 50 per cent in the past 15 years and 75 per cent of people with mental ill health have their first episode during adolescence.
Suicide is the leading cause of death in young Australians and the suicide rate is more than 50 per cent higher in rural and regional communities.
Live4Life is an award-winning prevention model centered on young people themselves. It protects young lives before a crisis occurs. Young people are at the centre of the Live4Life program.
In 2024, across all Live4Life communities, over 8960 young people received evidence-based mental health education, improving their mental health literacy and ability to offer and seek help, while reducing stigma through the annual program of events and activities.
The total number of young people living in rural and regional communities who have received evidence-based mental health education since the Live4Life program began in 2010 is now 29,991.
In 2024, 297 young people joined the Live4Life Crew and were trained and mentored to support their peers as Mental Health Ambassadors.
In total, over 1470 young people have joined Live4Life Crew. Live4Life Hepburn is generously supported by Community Bank Daylesford District and the Daylesford Foundation.
Words & image: Contributed
May 17th, 2025Youth mental health program launches locally at Daylesford college
The successful youth mental health awareness program, Live4Life this month had its local launch at Daylesford College with some spots still available to join community mental health training sessions taking place as part of the wider program.
On Friday 9 May, Hepburn Shire Council mayor, Cr Don Henderson, deputy mayor, Cr Leslie Hewitt, Cr Tony Clark and Cr Pat Hockey and a number of council officers attended the Live4Life launch at Daylesford College
The program, which also operates more widely, including in the neighbouring City of Ballarat Shire, supports youth mental health awareness and focuses on providing peer support, training and advocacy for young residents.
The council plays a key role is raising community awareness, building connections outside the school and offering community training.
There are still spots available in upcoming mental health training sessions:
Monday 23 June in Creswick
Monday 7 July in Trentham
Book your spot via Google Forms 
https://ow.ly/aIEy50VRtaX
The Hepburn Shire Council said was was proud to partner with the Live4Life program.
November 20th, 2024Live4Life milestone celebration in Daylesford
The Hepburn Shire Council’s partnership with Daylesford College, Central Highlands Rural Health and the team at Youth Live4Life has reached its six-month milestone on a youth mental health and suicide prevention program.
Hepburn Shire Council CEO Bradley Thomas said he was proud to be partnering with Daylesford College and CHRH on the Youth Live4Life program which is tailored to regional communities.
“The program is already having a positive impact on our young people, and we are seeing an increase in referrals,” Mr Thomas said.
“It is comforting to know that our young people are having more conversations about mental health and peer support.”
During a recent consultation with young people, 59 per cent indicated that mental health is an important issue in our community.
The council made a commitment in the ACE Youth Strategy to focus on mental health and as part of this commitment it partnered with Daylesford College on the Live4Life program.
“Council will continue to run two free youth mental health sessions per year for community members who are working with or supporting young people in Hepburn Shire,” Mr Thomas said.
“It is greatly empowering for our young people to have a program like Live4Life which enables them to step up into local leadership positions.
“We are also looking forward to launching nominations for the Young Mayors Youth Council in 2025.
“We encourage anyone who is passionate about these types of issues impacting young people to chat with our youth team.”
The council plans to continue the partnership program into the future and hopes to see some positive outcomes for the young people in our community.
This story based on a Hepburn Shire Council media release. Image: Supplied.
March 25th, 2024Innovative youth mental health launch in Hepburn
The innovative Live4Life youth mental health and suicide prevention program has launched in Hepburn Shire in recent days.
Live4Life brings together rural and regional communities to deliver accredited youth mental health first aid training and lead conversations to reduce stigma around mental health, and promote young leaders as Mental Health Ambassadors.
Live4Life is an award-winning prevention model centred on young people themselves and aims to protect young lives before a crisis occurs.
In Hepburn, the Daylesford College is shouldering the role of lead agency in implementing the peer-led, evidence-based model that spans both suicide prevention and mental health education and is the only program of its kind designed specifically for rural and regional areas.
“Today marks an exciting chapter at Daylesford College as we launch the Live4Life program in Hepburn Shire,” Daylesford College principal Steve MacPhail said.
“Our approach to student wellbeing is already cutting edge and Live4Life takes us to another level.”
“Our goal is to wipe out the stigma around mental health, teach our young people to recognise when they are struggling, or when a peer is not doing well, smash the barriers that keep them from seeking help, and turn our schools, homes, and communities into havens of mental health wisdom.
“Let’s build a future where our youth not only survive but thrive, and where mental health is not just a conversation but a way of life.”
Three quarters of people with mental ill health have their first episode during adolescence. Suicide is the leading cause of death in 15-24-year-olds in Australia and the suicide rate is 40% higher in rural and regional communities.
Hepburn joins nine other Victorian communities implementing the Live4Life model, where it has proven its effectiveness in growing mental health awareness and a help-seeking culture.
Other Live4Life communities include: Ballarat, Bass Coast/South Gippsland, Baw Baw, Benalla, Central Goldfields, Glenelg, Moira, Southern Grampians and foundation community Macedon Ranges — as well as the first interstate Live4Life community in Break O’Day, Tasmania.
There is currently a waitlist of over 20 rural and regional communities throughout Australia.
Hepburn Shire Council Mayor, Cr Brian Hood said that the Live4Life program is expected to bring real benefits to the region.
“Council is pleased to be working with Daylesford College and Central Highlands Rural Health to bring this important program to young people in our Shire,” Cr Hood said.
“Providing a safe place for them to create connections and foster resilience is key to tackling issues such as suicide and mental health.”
Bernard Galbally, Live4Life CEO: “It is really exciting to be expanding the Live4Life model into Hepburn.
“Live4Life is led by young people and involves the whole community. The Live4Life model has been proven to create more highly-networked communities, which enhance resilience during hard times and help to support young people living in regional and rural areas.
“Youth Live4Life is grateful to Gandel Foundation for philanthropic support to expand this life-changing program to Daylesford College and the Hepburn Shire community.”
Gandel Foundation’s CEO Vedran Drakulic OAM: “Gandel Foundation is committed to creating a positive and lasting difference and to building the spirit and resilience of communities, especially in rural and regional Victoria.
“Empowering young people to develop help-seeking strategies and reduce the stigma about mental ill-health is one of the key ways in helping forge this resilience”.
Youth Live4Life will partner with Daylesford College, Hepburn Shire Council and Central Highlands Rural Health to deliver the award-winning program.
Anyone interested in further information on how to support the mental health and wellbeing of young people in Hepburn, can contact Bridget Franc at Daylesford College on bridget.franc@education.vic.gov.au.
March 17th, 2024Live4Life expanding in Ballarat schools
Live4Life to expand in Ballarat schools in 2024 | City of Ballarat
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Live4Life to expand in Ballarat schools in 2024
06 March 2024 1:10pm
The award-winning Live4Life program – increasing mental health knowledge throughout Ballarat – will continue to grow this year.
Returning for its second year, Live4Life is the only mental health education and youth suicide prevention model designed specifically for rural and regional communities.
After first being introduced to Ballarat in 2023, the program saw more than 1200 students across eight schools undertake evidence-based teen mental health education in response to a reported increase from schools and agencies in depression, anxiety, cyber bullying, and self-harm.
In 2024, the program will expand to 10 schools, with an estimated reach of 3500 students in both Year 8 and Year 10 to participate.
The Live4Life Ballarat Partnership Group is comprised of a dedicated collective of secondary schools, health provider networks and community organisations.
City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Des Hudson said the foundation laid by Live4Life’s inaugural year in Ballarat in 2023 would allow for the wider community to be better informed about mental health.