The Western Bulldogs are thrilled to announce an official alliance with Lifeline Australia, stepping up its commitment to tackling the issues of mental health and suicide in our community.

Lifeline is a national charity providing all Australians experiencing a personal crisis, access to 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.  Every 30 seconds, a person reaches out to Lifeline for help via phone, chat or text.

The Bulldogs and Lifeline will work closely on several impactful initiatives in 2021, with the aim of raising money and awareness of mental health and suicide prevention.

“We are delighted to partner with the Western Bulldogs in 2021 and beyond. Our partnership with the Bulldogs is an important extension of our position as an Official Charity Partner of the AFL,” said Lifeline Australia CEO, Colin Seery.

“The decision to partner with the Bulldogs was an obvious one for us, with the Club leading the way in advocating for better mental health and wellbeing in the AFL Community, via the Club’s Sons of the West and Daughters of the West programs.

“The Club’s commitment to engaging the local community and delivering vital wellbeing programs for men and women, aligns with Lifeline’s premise of supporting Australians in times of crisis and equipping individuals and communities to be suicide-safe.

“Through our partnership with the Western Bulldogs, we will deliver a range of mental health awareness and education initiatives across the season, from the grassroots level to the elite.

“Funds raised through our partnership will ensure Lifeline’s critical crisis support and suicide prevention services are accessible to anyone who needs them – anytime, anywhere. Together with the support of the Bulldogs and AFL, we can ensure no person in Australia has to face their darkest moments alone.”

In an immediate show of support for the new partnership, the Western Bulldogs will take part in The Push-Up Challenge, an initiative designed to raise funds and shine a light on suicide prevention.

The Challenge asks for individuals to complete 3,318 push-ups - representing the number of people who died by suicide in Australia in 2019 - over 25 days in June.

“We’re very proud to be closely associated with an amazing organisation like Lifeline Australia,” said Bulldogs CEO Ameet Bains.

“Lifeline does incredible work with Australians in providing suicide prevention services and mental health guidance – issues which are more important than ever in our society.

“As an AFL club which is so connected to our community, we’re acutely aware of the impact mental health problems can have on everyday Australians, even more so following the challenges faced by many last year.

“For a long time we have focussed on improving the mental health of people in the west of Melbourne and western Victoria, particularly through our men’s and women’s health and wellbeing programs run by the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation.

“Having Lifeline to integrate into these programs will only strengthen their impact, which is extremely exciting for us.

“We’ve got some exciting plans already in development for the second half of the AFL season, where we will come together to shine a light on the impact that mental health issues are having in our community, and explore ways we can better help those going through a difficult time.”

For crisis or suicide prevention support, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit www.lifeline.org.au.

To donate to Lifeline, visit the website or call 1800 800 768.