Advocacy in Action
A real honour to be voice and advocate for our local community needs. Speaking at the NS Wellbeing Collaborative, for The Sydney North Primary Health Network.
We need Stronger local connections between healthcare, social care, and community:
- Services that reflect local realities for our community’s needs.
- Accessible, and available supports with less barriers
- Build on health equity, compassion, cultural understanding, lived experience, collaboration and connection.
We would like to see a community-led approach with:
- Early intervention and prevention, better access, and coordinated care.
- Reaching our most vulnerable with the support they need before it’s too late and at the critical stage in physical and mental health. June 2025
Member of the Northern Sydney Wellbeing Collaborative.
Nominated in March 2025 for a NSW LIFE (Living Is For Everyone) Award for Outstanding Contribution form Suicide Prevention Australia.
Recognises individuals and organisations who work to reduce the rate and impact of suicide. Whether they are volunteers or working in paid positions or an organisation, it is through their efforts, insight and initiative that our communities become stronger and more resilient. Suicide Prevention Australia
NSW LIFE Awards 2025 Nomination Letter Suicide Prevention Australia
A suicide prevention event at House of Parliament, using my lived and working experiences to advocate for our community and showcasing my work in Suicide Prevention Oct 2019.
Michael Cook, Director of Policy for National Suicide Prevention Office the National Suicide Prevention Office (NSPO) Suicide Prevention Conference in May 2025.
I contributed to the National Suicide Prevention Strategy and was a member of the service systems working group, having the honor of contributing my lived and professional experiences to the strategy. National Suicide Prevention Strategy 2025-2035
Had the honour of chairing Lived Experience Workshop at the Suicide Prevention Conference in May 2025.
Governor House with her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC Governor of NSW in May 2025. With Local Kind acknowledging my work alongside them with our homeless and DV community.
On the panel Sydney North Health Network as a Voice and Advocate for our lived experience community. A reminder to all those that need to hear this. We can use our story, our journey, our pain, suffering and feeling suicidal to create positive change, to create hope. 2024.
We were honoured by Their Excellencies, The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), and Mrs. Linda Hurley, visiting LocalKind Northern Beaches Appreciating our work with our Homeless and DV Community.
A Working Group was succeeded by the Northern Beaches Suicide Response Steering Group in April 2019, after it was identified that a long-term, coordinated approach was essential to address suicide across the Northern Beaches.
I was a working group member, collaborating and working alongside Lifeline Northern Beaches • Northern Beaches Hospital • Northern Beaches Lived Experience Group • Northern Beaches Police Area Command • Northern Sydney Local Health District (NSLHD) • Sydney North Health Network •CCNB
The Steering Group plays a leadership role in the suicide prevention space, with a focus on coordination, communication, advocacy, intervention and postvention. An Action Plan has been developed in consultation with key stakeholders and people with lived experience of suicide, and the Steering Group shares responsibility for its implementation and evaluation. nbsr-_snapshot_-report.pdf
Providing peer support for The Mental Health Commission National Mental Health Commission for our peers at Parliament House; showcasing our work in Mental Health. 13YARN - Call 13 92 76 | 24 /7 Crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
The launch of MoWaNa in 2023. MoWaNa is a community-led Safe Space for anybody experiencing emotional distress and/or suicidal thoughts, where trained volunteers (with lived experience of crises) offer non-clinical services, from listening to support and guidance.
#YouCanTalk Ambassador encouraging people to have a conversation with any friend, family member or colleague who may be struggling. Research shows anyone can have a positive influence on a friend, family or work colleague considering suicide by starting a conversation and supporting them to seek help. 2019
Learn more at Life in Mind Australia
Highly Commended and finalist for Leadership through Lived Experience Award 2022, using my lived experiences to support, guide and advocate for others in my community. Pittwater Online News
An evening organised to raise community Awareness and funds for Suicide Prevention Charities with Rob Stokes. 2018
A Northern Beaches Council initiative.
Tune in this Mental Health Month
October is Mental Health Month and this year’s theme is Tune In. It is a time to raise awareness, decrease stigma, and empower people to seek help.
A Northern Beaches Council initiative.
A webinar specifically designed for Youth Supports, featured a facilitated discussion from Sue from Council and Mike from Lifeline Northern Beaches with Kerry from CCNB, Louise and Godelieve from Good Grief, Kylie from Relationships Australia and Belinda from SDECC.
Better off with you Campaign - 2019 Better Off With You draws on the power of peer-to-peer storytelling – sharing the experiences of individuals who have had suicidal thoughts and survived suicide attempts, to reach people in the community who are contemplating suicide. As many as 500,000 Australians have attempted suicide at some point in their lives and sharing their experiences can help others who are feeling suicidal. The campaign seeks to challenge the perceptions of those who are contemplating suicide that they are a burden on their family, friends and other people.
In Loving Memory of Jennifer Anne Hill
In July 2024 my dear friend Jennifer lost her brave battle with cancer.
Jennifer believed deeply in the power of art to heal, uplift, and connect us, especially during our most difficult moments. Her spirit, courage, and compassion continue to inspire my work every single day.
She generously offered for her creations to be part of this healing space. You may recognize some of her many artworks throughout this website and in my studio.
Though she is no longer with us, her light lives on through her paintings and the many lives she touched.
A week prior to Jen passing, she created and painted my logo - The Unalome With this, she made me promise I would launch The Advocate within a year of her passing.
