Live4Life Southern Grampians

27/08/2026

📢 Are You Due for a Youth Mental Health First Aid Refresher?

Our Live4Life neighbours in Glenelg are hosting a FREE Youth Mental Health First Aid Refresher Course in PORTLAND on Friday, 4 September 2026.

If you completed the course around three years ago, this refresher is a great opportunity to renew your knowledge, refresh your practical skills, and extend your accreditation for a further three years.

✅ Free to attend
✅ Maintain your accreditation
✅ Refresh your confidence in supporting young people

If this date suits you, simply scan the QR code or click the registration link to secure your place.

📍Can't make it? Live4Life Southern Grampians will also be hosting a Youth Mental Health First Aid Refresher Course later this year, with details to be announced soon.

Are you due for a Youth Mental Health First Aid Refresher?

Live4Life Glenelg is hosting a FREE Youth Mental Health First Aid Refresher course in Portland on Friday 4 September 2026.

The Youth MHFA Refresher course allows people who have completed the Youth MHFA course three years ago to refresh their knowledge and skills and remain accredited for a further three years.

📆Friday 4 September
🕘9am - 12:30pm
📍Portland Masonic Lodge (157 Percy St, Portland)
➡ Registrations essential: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/youth-mental-health-first-aid-refresher-course-18-portland-4-sep-2026-tickets-1115149775999

The cost of the course is FREE thanks to generous support from Live4Life Glenelg partners.

For more information call YMHFA training lead Tiana Richardson on 0400 558 681

*Please note this course is subject to participant numbers, if there are not enough participants for this session to run, we will have to cancel.

27/08/2026

🎉👏🎉

University of Melbourne and Live4Life are delighted to announce that we have been awarded a 2026 VicHealth Impact Research Grant.

This funding will support a project to help regional communities understand how well their local systems support youth inclusion, belonging, and connectedness. Working alongside young people and local community stakeholders, we will co-design and test a Community Inclusion Capacity Index that examines the structural, relational and experiential conditions that underpin inclusion.

We are proud to partner with VicHealth to build a stronger evidence base for healthier, more inclusive and more equitable communities across Victoria. A big thank you to our project partners City of Ballarat and Baw Baw Shire Council, and to our research team based at the The University of Melbourne, Murdoch Children's Research Institute - MCRI, and the University of Sydney: Dr Lakshmi Neelakantan, Professor Nicola Reavley, Ms Nina Logan, Ms Jane O’Loughlin, Dr Monika Raniti, Dr Jennifer Dam and Associate Professor Michelle Lim. We’re looking forward to sharing our progress and learnings along the way.

10/08/2026

🌟 Taking Live4Life Southern Grampians on the Road to Balmoral! 🌟

Earlier this year, Year 8 students from across the Southern Grampians came together to celebrate the launch of our 2026 Live4Life Crew and the exciting year ahead. It was an incredible day of connection, leadership, fun and important conversations about mental health.

Unfortunately, students from Balmoral K-12 Community College were unable to attend the launch event, so we decided to bring the experience to them! 🚐✨

Recently, the Live4Life Southern Grampians team, together with headspace Hamilton, hit the road and headed to Balmoral for a special mini launch event. Students had the chance to connect, learn more about Live4Life, get involved in fun activities, and join the conversation about looking after their mental health and supporting one another.

It was fantastic to see so much enthusiasm, energy and community spirit from the students, and we're thrilled to have Balmoral K-12 joining the Live4Life Southern Grampians journey in 2026. 💛 Later this year, students will take part in Teen Mental Health First Aid training, gaining practical skills to recognise when a friend may be struggling, how to start a supportive conversation, and where to encourage them to seek help.

Together, we're building a community where young people feel connected, supported and empowered to reach out when they need help.

A big thank you to Balmoral K-12 Community College for welcoming us, and to the Iluka Lends a Hand Community Funding Program for their generous support in making this event possible.

🌈 Reach for the Light, Your Future is Bright 🌈

headspace Hamilton Youth Live4Life

15/07/2026

☔️ Let's help keep Hamilton warm this winter ☔️

🧥 Need a coat? Take one. ❤️ Have a spare? Leave one.

The are-able Community Coat Rack at 82 Brown St, Hamilton is collecting and providing free winter clothing for our community members.

Donations of clean winter items for children and adults are welcome until 24 September.

Together, we can make a difference, one warm item at a time. ❄️💙

Community Coat Rack – Hamilton 🧥

Need something warm? Take one.
Want to help? Leave one. ❤️

From 13 July to 24 September, we're inviting our community to come together and help keep one another warm this winter ❄️

We're accepting clean, freshly washed coats, jackets, jumpers, beanies and scarves for both children and adults – all sizes and styles are welcome. 😊

If you have spare winter items to share, please consider donating them. If you need a little extra warmth, simply take what you need, no questions asked.

Together, we can make a difference, one warm item at a time.

📍 Drop-off and collection location: 82 Brown St, Hamilton

01/07/2026

Did you know Live4Life Southern Grampians regularly offers Youth Mental Health First Aid training to adults in our community?

This nationally recognised course provides practical skills to recognise when a young person may be experiencing a mental health problem, respond with confidence, and connect them with appropriate support.

A big congratulations to the 12 local community members who recently completed the training. Together, we're building a community where young people feel supported and know where to turn when they need help.

We're always looking to build a more mentally healthy community. If you'd like to attend a future Youth Mental Health First Aid course, or know someone who would, please don't hesitate to get in touch, we'd love to hear from you.

Youth Live4Life

24/06/2026

What is Live4Life Southern Grampians? 💛🩵🧡💜

Live4Life is a community-led youth mental health initiative working with local schools and organisations to improve mental health awareness, reduce stigma and encourage young people to reach out for support when they need it.

A huge part of Live4Life is our Crew, young people who help lead conversations, share ideas and promote positive mental health within their schools and community.

So far this year we have:
💛 Welcomed our 2026 Live4Life Southern Grampians Crew
🩵 Held our Crew Launch with local Year 8 students
🧡 Attended the annual Live4Life Dinner
💜 Supported the Understanding Youth event with guest speaker Andrew Fuller
💛 Delivered Teen Mental Health First Aid in local schools
🩵 Crew created their mental health promotion poster and theme - "Reach for the light, your future is bright"
🧡 Heard incredible ideas and feedback from young people
💜 Worked alongside schools and community partners

We’re excited to continue supporting youth voice, connection and conversations around mental health across Southern Grampians.

Youth Live4Life

Here’s a little look at what we’ve been up to so far this year👇

18/06/2026

Are you 12-25?

Join us tomorrow, Friday 19 June from 3:30pm - 5:00pm at our pop-up shop at 107 Gray Street for "Snacks and Chats" for the new Community Hub designs.

This event is suitable for young people aged 12-25 so if you are looking for something to do after school next Friday, pop in for a snack and tell us what you like about the concepts.

We want to know what looks good, what needs more work, and any ideas you may have to make the spaces work for you!

No bookings. Just show up. Bring your friends and have your say on the Community Hub, Library and Civic Square.

Can't make it? Take 5 minutes to complete our quick survey at https://engage.sthgrampians.vic.gov.au/community-hub

18/06/2026

💛🩵💜🧡

14/06/2026

💛 Amplifying Youth Voice Across Southern Grampians 💛

Our Live4Life Crew members have been sharing their ideas, experiences and hopes for the future of youth mental health in our community.

Students from Hamilton Parklands School, Monivae College, The Hamilton and Alexandra College and South West TAFE have contributed valuable feedback about their Live4Life experience, what they would like to see moving forward, and the messages they want adults in our community to hear.

Their voices were shared at our recent Partnership Group Meeting, helping guide conversations around how we can continue working together to create a community where young people feel supported, connected and heard.

A huge thank you to our 2026 Crew members for sharing your thoughts, ideas and honesty, your voices play an important role in shaping the future of Live4Life Southern Grampians.

11/06/2026

💛Understanding Our Young People: 2025 Evaluation Results💛

Live4Life Southern Grampians is proud to share the results of the 2025 ALIVE Research Project evaluation survey, highlighting the experiences and voices of young people across our community.

In partnership with Youth Live4Life, The University of Melbourne is currently midway through a three-year longitudinal co-evaluation project aimed at better understanding what matters most to young people—their wellbeing, sense of connection, experiences, and confidence in seeking support.

The findings highlight the power of a whole-community approach, bringing young people, schools, families and services together to strengthen connection, reduce stigma and support positive mental health.

A huge thank you to our participating schools, students and community partners for their ongoing commitment to supporting young people across the Southern Grampians.

By listening to young people, we can continue building a community where every young person feels heard, valued and supported.

We look forward to seeing the continued insights from this research and how they can help shape the future of youth mental health across our community.