RACV is strengthening its support for Live4Life, a youth mental health program that has been working with regional communities for more than a decade. The program has trained over 33,500 young people across Victoria and continues to grow as concerns about youth wellbeing deepen.
Recent figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show a stark rise in mental ill health among young people aged 16 to 25, with prevalence up by 50 per cent since 2007. The gap between city and country remains clear, with suicide rates in regional areas now more than 50 per cent higher than in major cities. These numbers help explain why programs built for rural and regional settings have drawn stronger support.
Ballarat was the first community where RACV backed Live4Life, helping the program deliver age-tailored mental health education to almost 5,000 students and more than 400 adults. RACV General Manager Corporate Affairs Liz Carey said the next stage of funding will allow the work to spread to more regions.
“Increased funding from RACV over the next three years will enable Live4Life to extend their reach to at least three additional regional communities,” Ms Carey said. She said the aim is to broaden access to what she described as a proven community-owned prevention model and the only one designed specifically for rural and regional communities.
“We are passionate about improving lives and giving back to local communities,” Ms Carey added.
Live4Life Chief Executive Officer Bernard Galbally said the Ballarat experience shows how peer-led programs can shift attitudes and build confidence among young people who carry the message into their own networks.
“Live4Life’s partnership model brings together schools, community organisations, health services, and local government to create a coordinated approach to youth mental health that extends well beyond the classroom,” Mr Galbally said.
He said the pressures on young people in rural Australia remain severe, and the extended support from RACV comes at a crucial time. “Mental ill-health and suicide among young, rural Australians requires urgent attention and this additional support from RACV will enable Live4Life to reach more young people and rural and regional communities across Victoria.”
Since its beginnings in the Macedon Ranges in 2010, Live4Life has been delivered to 14 communities, reaching thousands of students, adults and the program’s youth Crew. The model has helped bring more open conversations about mental health into schools, homes and community settings.
For more information, visit live4life.org.au.
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