Pitch Night: Does your organisation have an innovative suicide prevention program that will benefit the community?

Pitch Night is back in 2024, with Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network (HNECC PHN) and The Funding Network (TFN) hosting two live crowdfunding events in April at Lake Macquarie and Tamworth. The events will support four organisations to share their story and raise vital program funds so they can localise their suicide prevention pilot projects to support our communities.

Suicide is one of the greatest preventable public health and social issues in Australia. There is a ripple effect that is long-lasting, far-reaching and deeply felt by individuals, families, communities and in schools, tertiary institutions and workplaces across Australia. (source: national-suicide-prevention-strategy-for-australia-s-health-system-2020-2023.pdf)

Suicide prevention focuses on the priority domains of:

• supporting individuals and communities to seek help and support others.
• Building a system of care to change the trajectory of people in suicidal distress.
• Enabling recovery through post-crisis aftercare and postvention.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports that the greatest number of deaths by suicide occurred in the Hunter New England and Central Coast PHN region (181), which has also had the highest number of deaths since 2016.   

To address these alarming statistics, there is a higher need for suicide prevention and intervention services targeted to local communities and the issues they’re facing.

The PHN and TFN are inviting applications for the upcoming Pitch Nights from organisations within our HNECC community. The pitch event is linked to the Local Suicide Prevention Grant round and successful grant recipients may pitch for additional funding.

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