Today marks the end of an era at ReachOut, as our Online Community service comes to a close after 18 incredible years and millions of young people engaging in peer support.
Since its launch in 2007, ReachOut’s Online Community has provided a safe space for young people to connect with one another and safely explore mental health and wellbeing issues.
During this time, more than 2 million users across Australia have accessed this peer support forum, with hundreds of thousands of posts covering every topic imaginable.
But as technology evolves, so do young people’s help-seeking preferences. Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen young people increasingly form communities and communicate in new ways, including across social media and other digital platforms. We have taken the difficult decision to close the Online Community as we seek to evolve and ensure that we continue to effectively meet the needs of young people.
We reflect with great pride on what has been achieved and celebrate the significant contributions our Online Community team, volunteer community builders, and community members have made.
ReachOut recognises the care, strength, and compassion of our Online Community team, who have ensured the safety of users, run events, and built a culture of trust and support.
We also recognise the passion and commitment of our volunteers who led by sharing their lived-experience, built a community and fostered an open and engaging environment where anyone could be comfortable sharing and seeking support.
And most of all to the young people who found support, hope, or even just a place to vent - thank you for trusting us and each other. Together, our team, volunteers and community members have made a real difference in the lives of so many.
Over the years, we’ve seen the power of lived experience and peer support. Many young people found the community safe and nurturing, allowing them to be vulnerable and share their stories, often for the first time. The validation and support provided by the community allowed young people to feel heard and understood, less alone and able to find ways to support themselves through the sharing of self-care strategies, and pathways to support.
At the end of this era, we’re feeling reflective and proud. ReachOut will continue to provide young people with support, including through our PeerChat service and all of the stories, tips and info we share onsite and via socials. We are collaborating with other mental health services to ensure that Online Community users continue to have access to peer support forums, where this is their preference.
So as this chapter comes to a close, a huge heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who has supported or been a part of our Online Community.
