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Earlier this month, more than 750 Gold Coast high school students participated in a series of mental health workshops co-delivered by headspace Southport, headspace Upper Coomera, and the nationally recognised mental health and suicide prevention initiative, The Champions.
Lives Lived Well is the lead agency for both headspace Southport and headspace Upper Coomera. For the second consecutive year, The Champions, led by mental health advocate and educator Nic Newling, partnered with Lives Lived Well to bring this high-value program to young people in Queensland. The initiative continued in 2025, with headspace Southport securing funding from The Slater and Gordon Community Fund, alongside the Australian Communities Foundation, to expand its reach.
“Providing young people with access to mental health education and support in schools is critical to breaking down stigma and ensuring they know where to turn when they need help,” said Suzi Brendon, Lives Lived Well’s Clinical Manager for Youth Mental Health Services.
“We are grateful for the support that allows us to once again partner with The Champions to bring this program to Queensland for the second year, reaching students with powerful real-life stories and practical mental health information.”
The Champions workshop was developed by Nic Newling to foster open conversations around mental health and suicide prevention. Drawing from his lived experience—including his own mental health journey and the loss of his brother to suicide in high school—Newling engages students in meaningful discussions that challenge stigma and empower them to seek help. The workshops create a safe and supportive environment where students feel comfortable learning about mental health and ways they can seek help.
“This partnership has allowed The Champions to engage hundreds of young people across the Gold Coast with lived-experience mental health storytelling while also highlighting the essential, ongoing support available in their communities through headspace,” Newling said.
“This is the perfect age and environment for young people to understand the human side of mental health and how it applies to their lives – not just the health science, but really the connection between these issues and themselves personally.”
Over four days, five workshops were held at Gold Coast high schools, including Pimpama State Secondary College (February 3), Foxwell State Secondary College (February 4), Varsity College (February 5), Merrimac State School (February 5), and Upper Coomera State College (February 7). The sessions were delivered to more than 750 Year 10 and 11 students, addressing three key barriers young people face when seeking help: feelings of stigma or shame, worries about confidentiality, and uncertainty about how to seek help.
“I recognise the need for mental health support for all generations, but in particular our young people and this was a wonderful introduction for these young people today,” said Michael Crandon MP State Member for Coomera.
At each high school, students were highly engaged and interested as Newling shared his lived experience and mental health stories in a way that students could resonate with. Each presentation also included an interactive Q&A with both Newling and Community Engagement team members from the headspace services, encouraging meaningful questions from both students and educators at each of the schools.
One student reflected, “Nic’s presentation was extremely insightful, and I’ve never heard of headspace before. I’m going to talk to my friend about headspace as I feel they need it.”
“For the students sitting here today, a lot of them didn’t know that they could access headspace and that it is a free service that is targeted at their age group,” said Sara Massi, Guidance Counsellor at Varsity College.
headspace Southport Clinicians were also available to educate students on how to access its free, inclusive, and confidential mental health support.
“The presence of mental health services in schools is not only crucial for addressing current emotional challenges amongst young people and their families, but also fostering long-term wellbeing, resilience, and success in students,” said Shannon Mokomoko, Access and Intake Worker from headspace Southport.
The program is supported by Slater & Gordon Lawyers, who have been instrumental in ensuring young people in Queensland have access to mental health education.
“It’s an honour for Slater & Gordon Lawyers to support local events like this in the community and advocate mental health awareness for young people on the Gold Coast,” said Racheal Primmer from Slater & Gordon Lawyers.
“Being a part of the grassroots of any community event is essential,” added Fleur Hawes, also from Slater & Gordon Lawyers.
To access free, inclusive, and confidential mental health support, young people can reach out to headspace Southport at 07 5509 5900 or headspace Upper Coomera at (07) 5600 1999. You can find a headspace centre near you at www.headspace.org.au/headspace-centres.
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Media contact
For media enquiries please contact: Lisa Larkin, Marketing and Communications Manager, Lives Lived Well, [email protected]
About The Champions
The Champions is a captivating workshop created by mental health advocate and educator Nic Newling. Following his own mental illness and losing his brother to suicide in high school, Nic developed “The Champions” to change the way mental illness is addressed in schools, workplaces, and communities. The powerful workshop, built around personal stories and an engaging Q&A, has demonstrated impressive results with young people, with 95% of students reporting a reduction in stigma related to mental illness and 95% reporting an increase in their willingness to discuss mental health and seek support after the presentation. Nic has reached millions in the last ten years through television, live talks, radio, print, and online. Learn more about The Champions: www.thechampions.org/.
About headspace Southport and headspace Upper Coomera
headspace Southport and headspace Upper Coomera are free, inclusive, and accessible mental health support services for young people aged 12-25 years old that Lives Lived Well operates. These services offer a place where young people can get free and confidential support for their mental health, access non-judgemental information and support around drugs or alcohol, meet with a free GP, and get practical support with work and study. We also offer an early psychosis program on the Gold Coast with wrap-around support for young people who are experiencing an early episode of psychosis or are at risk of developing psychosis.
Learn more about headspace Southport: www.headspace.org.au/headspace-centres/southport/.
Learn more about headspace Upper Coomera: www.headspace.org.au/headspace-centres/upper-coomera/.
About headspace
headspace is the National Youth Mental Health Foundation providing early intervention mental health services to 12-25 year olds. headspace has more than 150 centres across Australia in metropolitan, regional and remote areas, as well as online and phone support services through eheadspace. headspace can help young people with mental health, physical health (including sexual health) alcohol and other drug services, and work and study support. Centre details, as well as factsheets and resources for young people and their families and friends, can be located on the headspace website: headspace.org.au.
