Seven staff members flew the flag for SWSPHN at the annual Lifeline Macarthur and Western Sydney Annual Gala Dinner on Friday, 26 May, at Ottimo House, Denham Court.
Staff were there to support and enjoy Lifeline’s annual major fundraiser, supporting the charity’s vital crisis support services for suicide prevention.
SWSPHN received a special mention for our support in the opening speeches, and a two-page article was published in the event program detailing the activities made possible through SWSPHN funding.
Attendees were told there had never been a more critical time to provide Lifeline’s essential services to the Macarthur and Western Sydney communities. The soaring cost of living and financial pressures have become overwhelming for many people in our community.
Lifeline Macarthur and Western Sydney’s crisis support and counselling services continue to respond to more than 10,000 calls per month.
- 8.6 Australians die every day by suicide. That’s more than double the road toll (ABS, 2022)
- 75 per cent of those who take their own life are male (ABS, 2022)
- Suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians between the ages of 15 and 44 (AIHW, 2022a)
- The suicide rate in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is twice that of their non-Indigenous counterparts (ABS, 2022)
- Each year, more than one million Australians reach out to Lifeline for support
- Lifeline’s 13 11 14 crisis support line receives a call every 30 seconds