About Us
Our “why”, mission, vision, values and goals
Our 'Why'
In 2017, I had my first battle with mental health. Despite being surrounded by many friends at the time, I felt so alone. I struggled to find meaningful connection with the doctors, counsellors and psychologists that I saw and I didn’t know what else to do. So, naturally, I bottled it up. But after a while, it got so bad that I needed to tell someone about it.
What I did next was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done… I told my dad. It was hard to do because I perceived him to be a very stoic role model in my life, embodying the archaic masculine stereotype of hiding emotion and soldiering on. I didn’t know what to expect when I told him what I was going through. Honestly, I thought he’d just tell me to “man up” and get on with it. But then something really special happened…
He listened. He validated what I was going through. And then he opened up to me for the very first time in my life about his own struggles with mental health. He told me about all the trauma he had faced coming to Australia from a foreign country, the emotional turmoil of his divorce and suicidal ideation that followed.
By expressing these feelings with someone who understood what it’s like to struggle with loneliness, anxiety and depression, dad and I both felt heard and validated, helping us discover a newfound sense of strength and courage we didn’t think we had.
Dad used this strength to pursue something he’d always wanted to learn – dancing. Taking up dancing classes in his local community helped him feel a true sense of belonging and ultimately supported him to feel better again. Dad also encouraged me to dive deeper into my DJing hobby which similarly helped catalyse my recovery from mental health challenges and has enriched my life.
The reality is that many of us might have friends, family and loved ones, but not everyone has that person – that buddy, friend, pal, confidant or mate – in their life who they can confidently turn to when they’re struggling. Some might not have any friends, family or loved ones at all.
We believe that everyone is so much more than their struggles and we all should have a mate to turn to in times of need. To this day, dad is still dancing and I’m so grateful for my best mate’s life.
– David
Mission & Vision
Mission:
To ensure every person on this planet has a mate to turn to in times of need, to prevent the onset of mental health challenges.
Vision:
A world is free of stigma and discrimination, where mental health can be openly talked about with anyone.
Our Values
Our core values ensure that each of our team members work towards the same common goal, and share a bigger purpose.
Empathy
We step into the shoes of everyone we work with to understand their true feelings and use this understanding to guide our actions.
Integrity
We are honest in our approach and stand up for what we believe is the right thing to do, even when no one is watching.
Collaboration
We share ideas and work together to uncover different perspectives, which enables us to deliver productive outcomes to everyone.
Courage
We find strength and discipline to face our challenges head on, guaranteeing firm adherence to our values.
Our goals
By 2025, we Will:
- Ensure 1,000,000 people have a mate to talk to, to halve the number of annual suicides globally
- Provide work placement opportunities to 1000 students studying mental health
- Increase the growth of local organisations that support good mental health & wellbeing by 20%
Meet our Team
Our partners and supporters
The amazing people who have helped us along our journey
