Mental health
& wellbeing
Because Mental Health Is Everyone's Business
Mental health affects every community, every age group and every walk of life.
Across Australia, Rotary clubs and Rotary organisations are supporting initiatives that raise awareness, fund research, build mental health skills, encourage people to talk openly and help create more connected communities.
Some of these initiatives were created by Rotary. Others were developed by individual Rotarians, Rotary clubs or Rotary organisations and have grown into much bigger movements.
We've pulled some of them together here so you can see the bigger picture — and find something you can get involved in.
Lift the Lid on Mental Illness
Talk about it. Learn about it. Lift the lid.
Created by: Australian Rotary Health
Started: 2016
Lift the Lid on Mental Illness is Australian Rotary Health's national fundraising and awareness campaign supporting mental health research.
The campaign began in 2016 through Australian Rotary Health in partnership with Rotary Clubs of Victoria and has since expanded to Rotary clubs across Australia. It encourages communities to talk more openly about mental health while raising funds for research.
The campaign includes initiatives such as Lift the Lid Walks, Hat Day and Lift the Lid in Schools, giving Rotary clubs and communities different ways to get involved.
The funds raised support Australian Rotary Health's mental health research, helping researchers investigate ways to better understand, prevent and respond to mental health challenges.
Our connection
Rotary Club of Kinglake Ranges supports Lift the Lid through our annual Lift the Lid Walk and other mental health activities.
Lift the Lid Walk for Mental Health
Walk together. Talk together.
The Lift the Lid Walk began as the Walk for Mental Health, created by Vicki Stewart from the Rotary Club of Mooloolaba. It later became part of Australian Rotary Health's national Lift the Lid campaign, with Rotary clubs and communities across Australia getting involved to raise awareness and funds for mental health research.
For our Club, the walk is about bringing that bigger movement into our own community. We help promote and support the local event, encourage our members and the wider community to get involved, and create an opportunity for people to come together, walk and have conversations about mental health in a relaxed and supportive environment.
Mental health matters in every community, including rural and regional communities like ours. Accessing support can sometimes be more difficult when services are further away or less readily available, making community connection and awareness particularly important. A local event can help make conversations about mental health feel more normal and remind people that they don't have to face things alone.
The walk isn't a race, and you don't need to be a runner. It's about walking alongside friends, family, neighbours and fellow community members, checking in with each other and creating space for conversations that might otherwise be difficult to start.
Funds raised through Lift the Lid Walks support Australian Rotary Health's mental health research, helping researchers better understand mental health and develop better ways to support people across Australia. So while our walk may take place around Kinglake, it contributes to something much bigger.
Our club is proud to bring this initiative to our community — because sometimes making a difference starts with simply showing up, walking together and asking, "How are you really going?"
Get involved and put your walking shoes on this November.
Mental Health First Aid
Knowing what to say can make a difference
Founded by: Professor Tony Jorm and Betty Kitchener AM - Members of Rotary Club of Coffs Harbour, NSW
Research supported by: Australian Rotary Health
Mental Health First Aid is one of Australia's best-known mental health education programs — and it has strong Rotary roots.
Professor Tony Jorm and Betty Kitchener developed Mental Health First Aid in Australia in the year 2000. Australian Rotary Health funded the research that helped establish the evidence-based guidelines underpinning the program.
The idea is similar to physical first aid: people don't need to be doctors or mental health professionals to learn how to recognise when someone may be struggling, respond appropriately and help them find professional support.
The program has since grown well beyond Australia, with more than 8 million people trained worldwide.
Australian Rotary Health has also supported research into programs such as Teen Mental Health First Aid, which teaches young people how to support friends experiencing mental health problems or crises.
Many of our Club Members are booked in to do our Mental Health First Aid Training in October 2026.
Australian Rotary Health
Funding the research behind better mental health
Established: 1981
Mental health research focus: Since 2000
Australian Rotary Health is a national Rotary organisation and one of Australia's largest independent funders of mental health research.
It began in 1981 after Ian Scott, a member of the Rotary Club of Mornington, envisioned Rotary raising funds to support health research. The organisation later became Australian Rotary Health.
Since 2000, Australian Rotary Health has had a strong focus on mental health research. Its current research focus is the mental health of children aged 0–12, alongside fellowships and PhD scholarships supporting mental health research.
Australian Rotary Health is a project of the Rotary Districts of Australia and is supported by Rotary clubs around the country.
In 2026 alone, Australian Rotary Health allocated almost $2 million across research grants, fellowships, scholarships and other health programs, including $986,617 for research into the mental health of children aged 0–12.
Why it matters
When you support a Rotary mental health fundraiser, you may be contributing to something much bigger than the event itself — helping fund research that could influence how mental health is understood and supported in the future.
Say NO to Domestic
& Family Violence
Building safer communities through awareness, education and action.
Created by: Rotary Club of Ballina-on-Richmond
Now: Rotary-supported Zone 8 campaign
Domestic and family violence has an enormous impact on the physical and emotional wellbeing of individuals, children, families and entire communities.
The Say NO to Domestic and Family Violence campaign began with the Rotary Club of Ballina-on-Richmond in 2019, following the tragic death of a young woman from domestic violence. The club wanted to find a practical way to make its community safer and began working with police, schools, government, businesses and service providers.
The campaign focuses on raising awareness, encouraging reporting, supporting people affected by domestic and family violence and promoting respectful relationships, particularly among young people.
It has since grown into a much broader Rotary-supported campaign across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, with partnerships including NSW Police and NAPCAN.
One of its most recognisable initiatives is Purple Friday, where businesses, schools and community organisations wear purple to visibly say no to domestic and family violence and yes to respectful relationships on any given Friday. There is also their Walk for Respect each year.
Mental health and community wellbeing don't exist in isolation. Creating safer environments, promoting respectful relationships and helping people experiencing violence are all part of building healthier communities.
Mental health is
bigger than one project
There isn't one campaign, one walk or one conversation that can solve mental health challenges.
It takes research, education, early intervention, connection, community awareness and people willing to talk about things that can sometimes be difficult to talk about.
That's why Rotary supports mental health in so many different ways.
Some initiatives raise money.
Some start conversations.
Some teach practical skills.
Some support young people.
Some fund research that could change what we know decades from now.
And some simply help people feel a little less alone.
But what
can I do?
You don't need to be a mental health professional, a Rotary member or have all the answers to make a difference.
Sometimes it starts with something small — checking in on a friend, starting a conversation, learning how to recognise when someone might be struggling, or simply helping create a community where people feel comfortable asking for help.
There are plenty of ways to get involved, support mental health initiatives and look after the people around you. Start with what feels possible for you.
You Can:
Start a conversation.
Check in with someone you care about.
Get involved.
Join a community event or fundraiser.
Learn the skills.
Explore Mental Health First Aid.
Support research.
Donate to Australian Rotary Health.
Look after your own wellbeing.
Your mental health matters too.
Speak up.
Help create communities where people feel safe asking for help.
Refer & Recommend
Refer those who need it on to services that can help them.
Do you need
help or support?
While we do many things to support important mental health initiatives, Rotary isn't a mental health treatment or crisis service.
There are mental health services available across the Kinglake Ranges, Yarra Ranges, Whittlesea and Melbourne's north-east — but knowing where to start isn't always obvious. The services below provide different types of support, from free community-based mental health care to family violence services, youth support and pathways into more specialised treatment. If you're supporting someone else, you can seek advice too.
If you or someone you know needs professional support, please contact an appropriately qualified health professional or a recognised mental health support service.
If someone is in immediate danger
Call Triple Zero (000).
For urgent mental health crisis support, Lifeline is available 24/7 on 13 11 14.
Beyond Blue
Free mental health support for adults, closer to home.
For people aged 26 and over, the Mental Health and Wellbeing Local in Whittlesea provides free, participant-led mental health and wellbeing support. You don't need a Medicare card, GP referral or formal diagnosis, and you can self-refer. The service can also connect people with alcohol and other drug support, family practitioners, peer workers and community activities.
Beyond Blue
Free, local support for adults experiencing mental health or wellbeing concerns.
The Mental Health and Wellbeing Local program provides free support for Victorians aged 26 and over, including people experiencing distress, mental health concerns or alcohol and other drug issues. Support can include one-on-one assistance, peer support, outreach and connections with other services. Yarra Ranges locations include Lilydale, Yarra Junction and Belgrave.
Beyond Blue
A place to start when you don't know where to start.
Victorian Head to Health Clinics provide free mental health support and can help you work out what kind of assistance is right for you. You don't need an appointment or GP referral. The Eastern Melbourne network includes clinics in Hawthorn, West Heidelberg and Box Hill.
Beyond Blue
Support for family violence, children, young people and families.
The Orange Door is a free Victorian service for people experiencing family violence, people who are using family violence and families needing support with the care and wellbeing of children and young people. You don't need a referral or appointment, and they can connect you with family violence, counselling, mental health, alcohol and drug, housing, financial and legal services.
For the Kinglake Ranges and surrounding areas, The Orange Door network can help connect you with the most appropriate local service, even if you aren't sure exactly what support you need.
Beyond Blue
Community-based health and wellbeing support across the Yarra Ranges.
Inspiro provides accessible community health services across Lilydale, Healesville and Belgrave, including counselling, youth and family support and assistance around alcohol and other drug issues.
For people in the Kinglake Ranges, Inspiro is another useful pathway when looking for community-based support in the wider Yarra Ranges.
