batyr

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us on Saturday for the 10th anniversary Blue Tie Ball! Together, we celebrated a decade of smashing the stigma around mental health and creating a brighter future for young people across Australia. Your generosity and engagement made the night one filled with connection, hope, and the power of community. 🙌 Thanks to your support, we’ve raised an incredible $202,682.29, allowing us to reach an additional 6,756 young people across Australia with stories of hope and resilience. This achievement goes far beyond the numbers – it represents the young lives that will be transformed, the stories that will be shared, and the future we are building together. Thank you for making an impact that will extend well beyond this one evening. A special thanks to our partners and sponsors, whose support made this event possible. From those who captured the night – Jason De Cox, No Filter Photobooth, and Fujifilm Instax Australia – to our beverage sponsors Stockade Brew Co, Brand’s Laira, Yulli’s Brews, Heaps Normal, Tim Wildman, Mr Consistent, and Tito’s Vodka, we couldn’t have done it without you. A big thank you as well to our event sponsors, Chambers Russell Lawyers, The Happiness Institute, and UNiDAYS. We would also like to extend our gratitude to The Blue Tie Ball Committee, our wonderful volunteers, and all the businesses and individuals who generously donated raffle prizes and auction items. A special thanks to our host for the evening, batyr Founder Sebastian Robertson; Aunty Joan Bell for the Welcome to Country; Auctioneer Toby Llewellyn; batyr storyteller Nic for sharing their inspiring story; and entertainment from Lawson, Tim Commandeur, and Brent Street Dance. Stay tuned for more highlights from the night over the coming days!

We're so grateful for our monthly sessions with Dr. Tim Sharp! This morning, we had some great discussions about managing our own and others expectations as we head into the end of the year, along with thinking about what energises us and depletes us.

Behind the Scenes with The Audi Foundation! Earlier this week, our partnerships team, along with our Chief Happiness Officer Dr. Tim Sharp and storytellers Katie and Ben joined forces with our incredible partner Audi for an exciting upcoming project, aimed at raising awareness and literacy about youth mental health! A huge thank you to the wonderful videographer Pat Suraseang, for capturing all of these special moments. Stay tuned for the final product, launching soon! Corina Vargas Tamara Temaipi Krisztina Javor Carolina P. Shikye Smith

On Friday, a few members of the team attended the NSW Youth Conference, hosted by Liverpool City Council, Bankstown Council, and Fairfield City Council. Our involvement came about thanks to the initiative of passionate young people from the Liverpool Youth Council, who requested that their Community Engagement Officer approach us to be guest speakers. The insights shared by the young people were both inspiring and thought-provoking, with discussions ranging from legislation and cognitive function to emotional regulation. The positive feedback and high level of engagement reaffirm the importance of these community events in supporting youth mental health and fostering meaningful conversations. We are so proud to be a part of initiatives like these that continue to highlight the importance of young peoples voice's! Sophie Hogan Crystal Russom Corina Vargas

🌟 We're hiring! 🌟 Do you want to be part of a team that empowers young people to share their mental health experiences and create lasting change? Join batyr as a Storytelling Coordinator or Program Presenter/Facilitator! 🔹 As a Storytelling Coordinator, you’ll collaborate across teams to support young people in transforming their lived experiences into powerful stories that inspire and connect with others. 🔹 As a Program Presenter/Facilitator, you’ll deliver our preventative mental health programs in schools, universities, and workplaces—creating safe spaces for young people to engage in open conversations about mental health. If you're passionate about mental health and love working with young people, we'd love to hear from you! Learn more and apply today 👇 https://lnkd.in/g6YwqQpG

Last week, our Head of Programs Amy Brown and NSW/ACT State Manager Alice Murphy had the privilege of attending the Mental Health Sector Expo, co-hosted by Mental Health Australia and Parliamentary Friends Groups at Parliament House in Canberra. As one of the final federal parliamentary sitting weeks of 2024, the Expo offered a valuable opportunity to connect with parliamentarians, showcase batyr’s achievements, and spotlight the importance of accessible mental health services across local communities. We’re proud to be part of an event that fosters collaboration and highlights the ongoing work to create a mentally healthy Australia.

Yesterday, we had the privilege of attending the NSW/SA Social Media Summit, where different generations came together to discuss the impact and future of social media. Thanks to Office of the Advocate for Children and Young People (ACYP), young people aged 12 to 24 had the opportunity to put forward their ideas on how to plan for safer social media use in partnership with the NSW & SA Government, including Ellen, one of batyr's Lived Experience Storytellers and YAC member. The young people’s ideas covered hate speech, misinformation, and cyberbullying while addressing how social media can often become an echo chamber for negativity. Their insights were profound, offering solutions such as embracing the positive elements of social media, collaborating on change, and educating young people from an early age about the nuances of algorithms and real vs. fake news. They emphasised the need for adaptability, transparency over restriction, and pointed out the use of other internet platforms such as gaming platforms, which are often overlooked however have the same nuances. A standout moment was when Billy, YAC alumni for ACYP reminded us that collaboration between generations, education from a young age, understanding of positives and negatives, and a suite of initiatives are key to making social media useful and safe. We left feeling inspired by young voices, their clarity, initiative and the powerful call to action to harness social media’s potential for good. batyr Lived Experience storytellers, Katie Barton, Zara Blackmore and Kierin Spark supported young people as they collaborated with experts, policymakers, academics, peers, and community voices to nominate ideas and solutions for the future. We look forward to hearing from out South Australian team after their participation in Day 2 of the Summit! Shikye Smith Katie Acheson Emily Brown

🌍 Today is World Mental Health Day 🌍 Reflecting on this important day and the week that’s passed, I am struck by the power of community in tackling the stigma surrounding mental health. It truly takes a collective effort, and I’m incredibly grateful for the changemakers who continue to inspire me. A huge shoutout to the incredible leaders like Jan Owen AM Hon DLitt, Lucy Thomas OAM, Rosie Thomas OAM, and Elyse Cohen —who have spent years using their platforms to drive global change. Your work has been nothing short of epic! I’m equally inspired by the next generation of leaders. The batyr storytellers like Melanie Philippou who shared her story at Rare Beauty retreat. Katie Barton, Zara Blackmore, Kierin Spark and Ellen who led meaningful discussions at the #socialmediasummitnswsa today and the 1300+ other young people who bravely share their lived experiences with batyr to spark real conversations and shift perspectives. And changemakers Shikye Smith, Robert O'Leary, Christian B., Alissa Wankmuller help equip young people to share their stories safely. I am so grateful amazing people who govern and guide us—the incredible board and committee members who ensure we stay grounded and visionary at the same time. Thank you Ellen Derrick, Bianca Buckman, Matt Anderson, Luke Branagan, Bella Cini, Michael Jefferies, Myfanwy Maple, Josh Meyers, Karen Lee, Blake Almond, Joanna Veitch, Cristina Carter, Patrick Darcy, Duncan Wilmer, Kiera Moloney, Justin Ngyuen, Amy Benger, Matthew O'Connor, Ally Frizelle, Tharindu Jayadeva, Alexandria Brown, Will Bird, Lucinda G., Ellen Armfield, Noa O'Reilly, Ellen O'reilly. True change takes all of us - one story at a time 💙 #WorldMentalHealthDay #makearareimpact #YouthMentalHealth #socialmediasummitnswsa #CommunityOfChangemakers #BreakingTheStigma #MentalHealthMatters

In celebration of World Mental Health Day this year, our CEO Katie Acheson and Lived Experience Storyteller Melanie Philippou attended the Rare Beauty retreat in Sydney to join Elyse Cohen for a fireside chat to discuss batyr's impact in the mental health space in Australia. batyr is the first and only Australian partner of the Rare Impact Fund, and more importantly our mission and vision are incredibly aligned with the Rare Impact Fund. The partnership is based on a shared commitment to supporting young people's mental health through safely sharing real stories, reducing stigma, connecting young people with support and equipping them with the tools and skills to live mentally healthy lives.  The Rare Impact Fund grant has allowed batyr to deliver 23 batyr@school programs reaching over 2,500 secondary school aged students across Australia. We have seen significant positive outcomes including increased help seeking intentions, reductions in stigma, and increased confidence in students ability to support their peers. We're excited to continue to share our partnership with the Rare Impact Fund, keep an eye out on our Instagram for more behind the scenes of our week!

I’m so proud to wear my support for batyr this World Mental Health Day. Our Marketing and Fundraising team have poured so much heart into creating these limited-edition jumpers for our community, each one designed not just as clothing but as a conversation starter. By putting one on, you’re standing with young Australians and showing that it’s all good if you’re not all good, and it’s to ask for help. Every jumper is a chance to spark a meaningful conversation and break down the stigma around mental health—one conversation at a time. I’d love for you and your teams to join us and wear your support too! You can purchase yours here: https://lnkd.in/gYehadc5 #youthmentalhealth #worldmentalhealthday #livedexperience