G’day,
As I write this, I am on a plane from Sydney to Melbourne for our Annual General Meeting and, more importantly perhaps, a thank you dinner for our former Chair and outgoing board member, Jon Myer.
There are many things about plane travel that I strongly dislike. One wrong turn at Sydney Airport’s new road system and I was on my way into the city and on track to miss my flight. A long queue through security screening. And right now I’m squeezed into my window seat next to a bloke who has pointy elbows and is somehow vigorously engaging them to complete a crossword.
But the thing I love about flying is that when you look out the window, you can’t help but take a wider view of the city, the coastline, and the vast ocean below. And also, of life itself.
2025 started in crisis for me. Both my personal and professional lives were under extreme stress.
At last year’s AGM, I asked the Australians for Mental Health board to keep the faith. Our cash was running out, and we had to lay off staff. Hard-working people -- friends -- who want to make a difference but whom I could not afford to pay.
I asked the board to remember why we all want this organisation to succeed, and what we do that matters.
And because we have the best board a person could hope for, they leant in and helped in a big way. Some chipped in thousands of dollars of their own money to top up the coffers until sponsorship money we had been promised came through. Others were on the other end of the phone, helping me plot a way forward. Others again just turned up with the moral support I so desperately needed.
Australians for Mental Health exists because together we -- you, me, everyone reading this -- are people who don’t accept the status quo on mental health as being anywhere near good enough.
And we put our hopes for change in the audacious idea that it is we, the people ourselves, who must lead that change. Not policy wonks, not clinicians, not governments. The people.
When citizens get organised, make connections, decide priorities based on our actual needs, strategise and take action, we can shape Australia as a place where every single person can thrive.
In the year that has followed, together we:
Pushed MPs and candidates in the federal election to make mental health a top priority
Spoke up in the media with nearly 650 news reports reaching over 9.9 million people, amplifying our case for better mental health for every Australian
Lobbied politicians for improvements to tackle loneliness and support social inclusion
Sparked a new group of young people stepping up to have their voices heard
Joined with partners to fight and defeat the retrograde changes to workplace mental health supports proposed by the NSW Government
Launched the largest and most comprehensive research into the attitudes of the Australian people towards mental health ever conducted, so that we can better engage every Australian in our vision for our country, and target both mental health advocacy and solutions far more effectively
Started regular online meetups for our members to connect with each other
And, right now, hundreds of you have made your voices heard on the best responses for people experiencing a mental health emergency.
Not bad for a tiny team that works out of a broom cupboard in Surry Hills and doesn’t have regular funding!
But we have so much more work to do.
In the year ahead, let us see if we can:
Deliver a pilot training program for young leaders (15 to 25) who want to make a change in their communities on mental health
Expand our Mental Health Compass research to get a deeper understanding of what makes people tick when it comes to mental health
Initiate projects on workplace mental health, addiction issues, social isolation, quality of care and place-based solutions
Conduct a nationwide listening effort to get us all talking about what matters most to us on mental health and what ideas we have, big and small, that would make a difference
Get local organising teams in place in all 150 federal electorates across Australia
And perhaps most importantly, recruit many more people to the cause to connect up, skill up and speak up.
Because people power is the only way to win.
You with me?
Thanks for being on this journey with us. And thanks for keeping me company on my flight, time for some dodgy coffee in a red paper cup.
Best,
Chris
Chris Gambian
Executive Director
afmh.org.au
P.S. If you are not yet a member and this resonates with you, I am asking you to join us. The first month is free, then it is $4 a month, and we will waive that if you need. You can cancel at any time. You can join at: afmh.org.au/joinup