Every day, one young Australian loses their life to suicide.
Working towards ultimately preventing suicide within Australia, zero2hero is a Perth-based charity with the vision of empowering young people to positively manage their own mental health and wellbeing. They provide the tools, education, and support to help young Western Australians build resilience, self-awareness, and confidence in themselves, empowering them to become mental health leaders and helping to prevent suicide within their communities.
Why zero2hero exists
In a country where our current mental health system is geared toward treatment rather than prevention, zero2hero believes that providing support before the point of crisis is crucial to the prevention of suicide.
After losing her stepfather to suicide, zero2hero CEO and Founder, Ashlee Harrison, was compelled to do something about the issue that devastates and affects so many people. While on this journey, there was the realisation that 75% of mental health issues develop before the age of 25. Ashlee and the zero2hero team knew that this meant the charity needed to revolve around supporting young people through focusing on prevention and early intervention.
How they help
zero2hero educates young people about mental health, mental illness, and suicide prevention, engages them in open conversations to break the stigma, and empowers future leaders to become mental health heroes in our communities.
Having developed education programs tailored to support both primary and secondary age young people, zero2hero equips them with the tools to understand their emotions, recognise how and when to seek support, and confidently identify when and how to offer help to others in need.
In place are a range of fundraising initiatives, including The Heroes Choice Lottery, The Heroes Lunch and The Red Cape Ball that go toward enriching the support that the charity can offer, and ensuring these offerings reach as far and wide as they possibly can, expanding beyond the metropolitan area and into WA’s regions and rural communities.
SafeTALK
Suicide alertness training is offered by zero2hero, to both young people and adults through an accredited program known as safeTALK. This program features half-day workshops that are designed to provide the skills to confidently talk about mental health, recognise signs that someone may be experiencing suicidal thoughts, and safely connect them with the help they need. Delivered by experienced facilitators to students, teachers, parents, workplaces, and community groups, safeTALK is one of the ways zero2hero is helping prevent suicide in Australia.
Camp Hero
In a time when young people are facing increasing pressures around mental health, zero2hero recognises the importance of programs that offer practical tools and genuine connections. Camp Hero is a five-day camp run by the charity that allows today’s youth the opportunity and space to explore resilience, compassion, leadership, self-worth, and understanding anxiety, as well as handling the ups and downs of life.
Their impact
Over the last decade, zero2hero has impacted more than 220,000 young people, with 51,994 of those coming from 2024 alone. That same year, 768 people were trained in suicide prevention by the charity, 255 Western Australian high schools were reached, and 23,666 students were educated on the topic.
Your impact
Without you and me, zero2hero can’t have the impact that they do. There are many ways that we can all contribute to the organisation’s ongoing impact — from making a donation to hosting a fundraiser and volunteering. You can also purchase tickets to the Heroes Choice Lottery which is another ongoing way to help zero2hero continue doing what they do, and being the heroes so many young Australians need.
Buy your Heroes Choice Lottery tickets here today and be someone’s hero!
