“By the time I was 15, my family was homeless. I had anxiety attacks every day and felt so alone. I just felt like I was better off not being around and burdening everyone.”
Almost every week in Australia one child, sibling, relative or friend under the age of 25 dies by suicide. The ripple effect of suicide is experienced by individuals, families and entire communities that are faced with the sadness and loneliness that come from the loss of a loved one.
Losing young people at such a staggering rate demonstrates how deeply mental health services are needed within our communities. Beyond Bank partners with many mental health support organisations including Youth Focus, a leading mental health provider that has been supporting the wellbeing of young people in the Western Australian community for 28 years.
When Tanya found Youth Focus, she was in Year 9 and struggling to overcome her anxiety and feelings of loneliness. Her Youth Focus counsellor, Sophia, used journaling and other techniques to help show Tanya there was hope. Today, Tanya works as a senior youth worker, supporting at-risk youth from all backgrounds, including some with similar experiences to her own. Tanya credits her family and the support from Youth Focus with getting her to where she is today, passing on that same support to other young people.
In 2021, Beyond Bank’s people and customers joined forces with Youth Focus’ supporters to donate over $20,000 during the bank’s annual Double Donation campaign, funding that could facilitate a year of mentoring for an additional 20 young people with mental health issues. Navigating life can be challenging for some young people and services like mentoring and counselling can make all the difference.
Beyond Bank is proud to help more young people access crucial mental health services through organisations like Youth Focus.
