Kai Fella Foundation

What’s your biggest regret? This question isn’t easy to answer at the best of times, let alone in front of a room full of peers. While it’s not required for students to do this in our third Workshop for young men, Taking Responsibility, we do explore what it means to powerfully repair relationships & stand up for people we care about 🌈 During the session, we build a collective sense of responsibility for how we treat others, the traits we have exhibited & practice the first steps to making amends through our words & more importantly our actions. Workshops run for 2 hours & are available for all students in Years 10, 11 & 12. Find out more & book now 🔗 kaifella.com.au/workshops

R U OK? Day 💛 Today is a reminder that every day is the day to check in with the people around you as sometimes, a simple conversation can make all the difference. A lot can happen in a year, a month, a week & the people you care about go through life’s ups & downs every day. The R U OK? team recommends four simple steps to check in: 1. Ask 2. Listen 3. Encourage action 4. Check-in Find resources & tips on starting the conversation 🔗 loom.ly/fDw-G7I If you or someone you know needs support, you can also find a few services that can offer assistance here 🔗 kaifella.com.au/get-help/ #RUOKDAY #RUOKDAY2024 #MentalHealth #CheckIn

Last month, we attended Perron’s Miss Chow’s Lunch, which brought together researchers and supporters to raise funds for Youth Mental Health Research at the Perron Institute through Telethon7. David Mundy, Chair (pictured with Jim Murphy from Perron Institute), Claire Eardley, Director & Founder, and Bronwyn York, a staff all-rounder (second pic), were among those who enjoyed the event. Claire shared our organisation’s journey, from its beginnings after the loss of her son Kai to suicide in 2016 to the launch of our own Kai-Fella Workshops across WA this year, a lasting legacy in honour of Kai. A highlight was the Q&A session with Dr Aleksandra Miljevic, a postdoctoral researcher, and Bradley Roberts, a PhD candidate and Kai-Fella Board member (third pic), who shared insights into their research on improving care pathways for youth mental illness at the Perron Institute. While completing his PhD, Bradley is also evaluating the impact of our Workshops in schools to provide evidence-based insights into their impact and a framework to ensure they continue to develop to meet students' evolving needs. We were thrilled to receive $2,000 from the auction of a Fremantle Dockers jumper, which will help us deliver Kai-Fella Workshops to Western Australian youth. A big thank you to the Perron Institute for hosting us and for their vital work. We look forward to continuing our collaboration towards evidence-based interventions that promote youth mental health. #PerronInstitute #PerronsMissChowsLunch #KaiFella #KaiFellaWorkshops #YouthMentalHealth #MentalHealthResearch

So often we hear about toxic female friendships, talking behind each other’s backs & gossiping, but why? In our second Workshop for young women, Strengthening Connection, we push up against this idea & look at the connection, community & care that can be found within female friendships 🌈 This Workshop breaks down the barriers that block great friendships between girls & gives them a chance to develop & practice skills of courageous communication, reflection & perspective-taking. Workshops run for 2 hours & are available for all students in Years 10, 11 & 12. Find out more & book now 🔗 kaifella.com.au/workshops #KaiFella #KaiFellaWorkshops #YouthMentalHealth #SuicidePrevention

Is it just a bit of banter? In our second Workshop ‘Changing Culture’ we create an environment where young men are empowered to stand up for their individuality and what they value. Whilst banter can be a means of connection for young men, they also need to be equipped to productively call out when it goes too far and this Workshop gives them a chance to practice that. Workshops are available for all Year 10, 11 & 12 students in WA. Find out more and book now 🔗 kaifella.com.au/workshops #KaiFella #KaiFellaWorkshops #YouthMentalHealth #SuicidePrevention

It’s t-minus 34 days and counting until the Bunker Bay 300! A dedicated team is putting in the hard yards for youth mental health, cycling 300km from the Perth Bell Tower to Pullman Bunker Bay Resort Margaret River Region in Australia's longest single-day charity event. We’ll be behind them every pedal of the way. Funds raised will help us deliver Workshops that empower young Western Australians to find their voice and be courageous during life’s most challenging moments and also support the great work of 20Talk and Blue Tree Project. We’re ever appreciative to be an event Charity Partner again, thanks to the BB300 team and ToyBox Australia. You can rally behind the riders by donating to their efforts here 🔗 loom.ly/oU0oAlk #BunkerBay300 #BB300 #YouthMentalHealth #Fundraiser

On this day eight years ago, our story began when Kai Eardley chose to end his life 🤍 Amongst his mates, Kai was known to be the life of the party. He was kind, cheeky, smart, athletic, a talented skater, and a loving son, brother, partner and friend. From the outside, it looked like he had everything, but on the inside, Kai was deeply struggling. This is why we exist – to honour Kai's life by helping other young Western Australians find their voice, be courageous during life’s most challenging moments and develop skills to improve the way they treat themselves, each other and the people they care about. Although today is a very sad reminder that another year has passed without Kai, for our organisation, it also serves as a reminder that his legacy of supporting others and his ability to bring people together remain 🌈 If you or someone you know needs support, you can find a few services that can offer assistance here 🔗 kaifella.com.au/get-help/ #KaiFella #KaiFellaWorkshops #MentalHealth #SuicidePrevention

What’s it like being a young woman in the world today? This is something we ask participants to reflect on in our first Workshop for young women, Empowering Voices 🌈 During this Workshop, we create an environment to talk about their experiences, swallowing their thoughts and feelings and how that affects mental health over time. The session empowers young women to recognise their own strengths and full range of emotions and understand why this can be difficult. It also gives them a chance to practice this for themselves and others using empathy, understanding and self-care. Workshops run for 2-hours and are available for all students in Years 10, 11 and 12. Find out more and book now 🔗 kaifella.com.au/workshops #KaiFella #KaiFellaWorkshops #YouthMentalHealth #SuicidePrevention

A massive thanks to Hale School's Riley House who rallied together to raise funds for us at their inaugural Charity Night. Organised by the Year 12 House Prefects and led by Jed Hewitt and Max Rosser, the Year 7-12 cohort were joined by their families for a night of fun and fundraising, which saw an array of prizes, raffle and auction items up for grabs. Thanks to their efforts and generosity, they raised a whopping $7,169, which will help us run Workshops across WA that help young people find their voice and be courageous during life’s most challenging moments. Cam Eardley (pictured) is the Assistant Head of Riley House, a member of the Kai Fella family and the brother of our namesake, Kai Eardley 🌈 Cam shares our gratitude, saying, "I am very appreciative of the Prefect group choosing Kai Fella. I was blown away by the support from every single boy and their families. The night was a resounding success with a huge turnout, and everyone was willing to go above and beyond to help in any way they could”. #KaiFella #KaiFellaFundraiser #HaleSchool #YouthMentalHealth #SuicidePrevention #KaiFellaWorkshops

You may have heard we've launched our very own Kai Fella Workshops, but what are they? 🤔 Our Workshops focus on practical & solution-oriented skills that students can implement to improve the way they treat themselves, each other & the people they care about & in the coming weeks, we'll be taking a look at what’s covered in each. Let’s kick it off with Challenging Stereotypes 🌈 We know that men who agree with the traditional stereotypes have a higher rate of suicide, risk taking behaviour & acts of violence. However, all the masculine stereotypes aren’t bad & don’t need to be thrown out. Being loyal, strong & hard working are admirable traits. Building on young men’s strengths, rather than deficits, in this Workshop we collectively determine what parts of the stereotype we should keep & what we should set aside, so we can better support ourselves as well as our mates. Workshops run for 2-hours & are available to all Western Australian students in Years 10, 11 & 12. Find out more & book now 🔗 kaifella.com.au/workshops If you or someone you know needs support, you can find support services here that can offer assistance 🔗 kaifella.com.au/get-help/ #KaiFella #KaiFellaWorkshops #YouthMentalHealth #SuicidePrevention