Suicide takes the lives of eight people in Australia every day. It takes more lives than motor vehicle accidents and is the leading cause of death among our young people.

In rural and remote parts of the country, the rate of suicide is even higher. 1.5 to 2 times higher.

Yet suicide is preventable.

Our Bush Chaplains are among the few on the frontline of mental health support and suicide support and prevention in rural and remote Australia, but you wouldn’t always guess it.

They don’t come with clipboards. They don’t make people fill in a checklist. They come to have a cup of tea. A good, proper chat.

Bush Chaplain Joe sharing a simple meal with an elder whose community felt abandoned

They bring a listening ear. They bring understanding and compassion. They bring unconditional love. And they make people feel they are not alone.

Bush Chaplains are a reminder that kind people like you are there for our friends in the bush, standing beside them, even if you can’t be there in person.

Bush Chaplain Peter at an Outback Links trip in Buchan, Victoria

Our Bush Chaplains are a network of love and hope, spanning across the country, reaching the hardest-to-reach places.

Your gift today to fund the work of Bush Chaplains can help save lives.