On Saturday 8 June 2013, Gold Coast local Tamra Forde held the third annual Curtis Finn Touch Football Carnival, celebrating the life of her brother, Curtis Finn, and raising funds for youth mental health service ReachOut.com.
For Tamra, it has been four years since her brother died by suicide and young people’s mental health is an issue close to her heart.
“I want to use this opportunity to celebrate my brother's life and the game he loved,” she says. Tamra hopes the Carnivals have shed more light on this important issue which, she says, “isn’t getting enough attention.”
In Australia, the leading cause of death amongst youth is suicide. One in four young people will experience a mental health issue in their lives. Yet, 70 per cent of young people who struggle psychologically and need professional assistance do not seek help.
With the internet being the key place young people start looking for help, Tamra believes, “it makes sense to provide support for young people online.” With this in mind, Tamra’s events have raised much-needed funds for Inspire Foundation’s ReachOut.com, which offers a variety of resources and support services that ensure young people gain a better understanding of mental health, improve their help-seeking skills, and help them to feel that they are not alone. She hopes her contribution can make a difference in young people’s lives when they need it most.
To date, Tamra has raised over $5,500, all of which will help to make sure that young people have access to a service that is responsive and relevant to their needs when they seek it.
To support Tamra's inspiring initiative and to ensure that young people know that ReachOut.com is there to help, make a donation.
View photos from the event below.
[gallery ids="4510,4511,4512,4513,4514,4515,4517,4518,4519"]
Author: Julia Zhu Wei is a first-year media and communications student at the University of Sydney and an intern at Inspire Foundation. This is her first article for inspire.org.au.
For Tamra, it has been four years since her brother died by suicide and young people’s mental health is an issue close to her heart.
“I want to use this opportunity to celebrate my brother's life and the game he loved,” she says. Tamra hopes the Carnivals have shed more light on this important issue which, she says, “isn’t getting enough attention.”
In Australia, the leading cause of death amongst youth is suicide. One in four young people will experience a mental health issue in their lives. Yet, 70 per cent of young people who struggle psychologically and need professional assistance do not seek help.
“Sometimes, young people do not realise that there is help available online that allows them to seek information, support and resources anonymously,” says Inspire Foundation CEO, Jonathan Nicholas. “ReachOut.com speaks young people’s language and is there where and when they need it.”
With the internet being the key place young people start looking for help, Tamra believes, “it makes sense to provide support for young people online.” With this in mind, Tamra’s events have raised much-needed funds for Inspire Foundation’s ReachOut.com, which offers a variety of resources and support services that ensure young people gain a better understanding of mental health, improve their help-seeking skills, and help them to feel that they are not alone. She hopes her contribution can make a difference in young people’s lives when they need it most.
To date, Tamra has raised over $5,500, all of which will help to make sure that young people have access to a service that is responsive and relevant to their needs when they seek it.
“I hope that through this, other families won’t go through what we did.” Tamra says.
To support Tamra's inspiring initiative and to ensure that young people know that ReachOut.com is there to help, make a donation.
View photos from the event below.
[gallery ids="4510,4511,4512,4513,4514,4515,4517,4518,4519"]
Author: Julia Zhu Wei is a first-year media and communications student at the University of Sydney and an intern at Inspire Foundation. This is her first article for inspire.org.au.
