b'The programs true success comes when everybodyGiven this reliance on cooperation and relationships buys in, from schools and hospitals to the young peoplethrough a community, it makes sense that Live4Lifes own themselves, as well as their families, teachers and, also,growth has been because of similar teamwork.people like the tuck shop attendant or the school busThe organisations strategy for planned growth is thanks driver. These are people who might have almost dailyto Live4Lifes close relationship with Social Venture contact with kids for 12 years, Bernard points out. TheyPartners Melbourne, after an introduction from Newsboys can be more than just extras in a kids life, especially ifFoundation CEO Sandy Shaw. theyre aware.Bernard and Sandy had crossed paths repeatedly over the Even better, the real drivers are young people, the Crews,years in a very Melbourne kind of way, from living near recruited as volunteers at the end of year 8 and activeone another years ago to Sandy being part of a group through their secondary years 9 & 10, in messaging,offering advice for some mentoring Bernard was doing support and entertaining fellow students, while deliveringwith a young Indigenous artist in the early 2000s. Once important mental health education. The everydayhe joined the Board of Live4Life in 2017, he reached out language can be changed dramatically from the ground upto Sandy who stepped him through what the organisation to help thwart the alarming rural suicide statistics.would need to do to have sustainable growth centred on evidence-based results. She introduced him to SVP Its no wonder that Live4Life is now in nine rural VictorianMelbourne, who have since guided work on functional Shires and Council regions, with another 20 keen tocapacity, a Board skill matrix and other requirements to implement. And that the Victorian Government recentlybecome robust and effective. added the organisation to its evidence-based school mental health funding streams, starting in the second halfMore recently, evidence-based results in place, Newsboys of 2022.has also funded some of Live4Lifes work, to help communities benefit.Talks are also underway at a federal level, with plans for a Department of Health assessment of a potential rollout inSVP look at where an organisation is on their growth a typical rural community where recruiting mental healthchart and like to come in at that tipping point where an assistance for schools can be difficult and there are acuteorganisation could either die away or could start to see staff shortages.significant growth, Bernard said. When we began this journey with SVP, I was two days a week and we had a The thing about Live4Life is that it doesnt burden theproject manager three days a week. Im now full time, we existing workforce, Bernard explained. This is whyhave 10 staff who equate to about five full time positions, communities come to us; the Live4Life model buildsand have established a range of committees that support capacity in the local community and builds resilience.the board.We dont impose it on communities either. We are invited in. We have an Expression of Interest process to identifySandy has been incredible. Its not just the introductions needs and who would be interested. to people who could help, its that people respect who she is introducing, because its her doing so. You get an Live4Lifes model brings together many communityimmediate engagement with that person because of the players and then works closely with them for about arespect.four-year period, showing how to embed the model so it becomes self-sustainable in that community.Nick PlaceMacedon Ranges Shire, where Life4Life began and is now in its eleventh year, is fully embedded in the community and the Glenelg Shire and Benalla, both five years in, are now transitioning to self-sustainability, Bernard said.NEWSBOYS FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 20217'