Lifeline encourages locals to walk for suicide prevention

LIFELINE Geelong and South West Victoria is encouraging Surf Coast residents to rally together and walk nine kilometres this weekend to honour the nine Australians lost every day to suicide.

More than 50 local people are slated to participate in Sunday’s inaugural Lifeline Out of the Shadows Walk in Torquay which will close the organisation’s annual Giving Week celebrations.

The event will give attendees the opportunity to come together and help raise funds to support crisis intervention and suicide prevention services.

The World Suicide Prevention Day event will kick off at 7am at Whites Beach and journey towards the Torquay Surf Life Saving Club and back.

Lifeline Head of Corporate and Community Partnerships (VIC), Michael Parker said the Out of the Shadows Walk would give locals a safe space to support each other.

“This will be the first one we’ve done in the Geelong region and something we see a lot of importance in doing.

“It’s a day to recognise the importance of suicide prevention in the community, while providing a good opportunity for people who have been affected by suicide, to come together, remember and care for each other.

“It’s a chance to openly talk about suicide, which is still somewhat a taboo and not spoken about enough.”

Mr Parker encouraged locals who can’t make it physically on the day to support the initiative in a series of alternative ways.

“While it’s our first formal group walk, we certainly encourage people to still give it a go if they can’t make it on Sunday.

“Participants are more than welcome to complete the 9km on their own, with their families or with friends at a different location.

“There’s also a fundraising aspect to it and people can jump onto our Lifeline Out of the Shadows site to do so.

To register for the Out of the Shadows Walk in Torquay, head to www.outoftheshadowswalk.org.au/fundraisers/oots_southwestvictoria2023

If you need immediate help, phone Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14, headspace on 1800 650 890 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.