OneFortyOne and The LifeChanger Foundation partner to provide mentor support to local teenagers

OneFortyOne, in partnership with The LifeChanger Foundation will further boost the mental health of teenagers living in Mount Gambier. The LifeChanger Foundation identifies and develops inspiring mentors within communities and delivers holistic self-development workshops for teens, creating and sustaining safe and resilient communities.

On Wednesday 9 October 2019, at the Lifechanger TR1BE event in Melbourne, OneFortyOne announced it would fund the delivery of the LifeChanger community program to up to 250 students at Grant High School, Mount Gambier. Linda Cotterill from OneFortyOne said “being involved with LifeChanger made sense, we get to grow an existing relationship with Grant High School in a meaningful way and at the same time do something that really resonates with our people, their families and the Mount Gambier community.”

The support includes the capacity building of over 20 OneFortyOne mentors and $25,000 for the rollout of the program which encourages positive, self-identity development. The program unites and builds sustainable, safe and resilient communities through a combination of face-to-face Mentor Development Workshops, Awaken the Hero workshops for teens (11-15yrs) and a supportive, digital interaction.

Scott Watters, CEO and Founder of LifeChanger said that partnering with local businesses is a great opportunity to deliver the highly regarded program in regional areas “local communities know their needs best and we are committed to helping teenagers meet the challenges of today’s world by supporting health and well-being, a sense of self, life skills, an individual’s passions, their purpose and pathway and the community support of a ‘tribe.’”

Fleur Roachock Principal of Grant High School said “the mental health of our students is a significant priority for us. We recognize that we have an important role to play in creating an environment where teenagers can trust their community. This program will help to address feelings of isolation and anxiety by building a foundation of self-worth and resilience.”

Linda said, “suicide is the leading cause of death among Australian children and teens[1] and Mount Gambier is no exception. We look forward to being part of the LifeChanger movement and helping our youth feel more supported by their community.”

The LifeChanger program will be delivered at Grant High School from early 2020.

ENDS

[1] Australian Bureau of Statistics: https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/3303.0~2018~Main%20Features~Intentional%20self-harm,%20key%20characteristics~3