LIFELINE Central Victoria and Mallee is once again joining forces with the Push-Up Challenge to raise money for their crisis support service and wider awareness of mental health.<\/p>\n
Executive officer at Lifeline CMV, Lisa Renato, said last year about 250 people got involved, helping raise $12,500.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a fabulous event, it was the first time we\u2019d done the Push-Up Challenge at Lifeline Central Vic and Mallee,\u201d she said. \u201cThat kind of money allows us to recruit more volunteers and train them.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur volunteers go through about 12 months of training before they\u2019re accredited as crisis supporters. The more volunteers we can recruit and train means the more calls we can answer and the more lives we can save.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Push-Up Challenge absolutely means whether we\u2019re able to take on an additional cohort for the second half of the year or not.\u201d<\/p>\n
The challenge involves doing 3139 push-ups throughout June, representing the number of deaths by suicide in Australia in 2020.<\/p>\n
Ms Renato said while data provided to Lifeline shows a reduction in deaths by suicide in the last year, the number is still shocking.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny life lost to suicide is a shock and has a massive impact on the people around them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She said a physical initiative also can improve people\u2019s understanding of mental health, especially those less likely to reach out for help.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt gets the conversation going and it can lead to people seeking the help they didn\u2019t realise they needed, or helping a friend get help,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n