What are Community-led Safe Spaces?
Community-led Safe Spaces are volunteer-run, non-clinical services where people experiencing suicidal distress can find compassionate and empathetic support from workers who have also gone through their own suicidal crisis (or have ‘lived experience of suicidal distress’) and have been trained to use their lived experience to support others.
Community-led Safe Spaces are intended to provide a welcoming, approachable service that is an alternative or addition to other services that may not be immediately available or the most appropriate fit for a person’s needs all the time.
Are you wanting to lead the way in helping people experiencing suicidal distress in your community? Do you have lived experience of suicide* and feel like you’re ready to give back to your community and help people in distress?
We would love to hear from you! We’re searching for…
Community-led Safe Space volunteers to welcome and support people experiencing emotional distress, suicidal thoughts or crisis, and their support network to the Safe Space.
Community-led Safe Space Working Group members to help run and organise the Safe Space. As a working group member, you will recruit and organise the volunteers, carry out community engagement including establishing referral pathways for guests, and aid in getting the word out there that the Safe Space is operating and providing support. You will help organise fundraising events and grant writing. You will organise the financial side of the running of the Safe Space and ensure its fidelity and that it is operated in accordance with the key principles and the community consultation guidance.
To become a volunteer within a Community-led Safe Space, we ask you to have:
- availability of at least 3 hours per month
- availability to complete online self-paced training and 1.5. days of online workshops
- can be involved for a minimum of 12 months
Please ensure you have read the ‘Readiness to be Involved in Suicide Prevention’ document before completing your application, which you can find here.
*Lived Experience of Suicide: We define Lived Experience as having experienced suicidal thoughts, survived a suicide attempt, been bereaved by suicide, or cared for someone who has been suicidal.
Apply to volunteer at the below Community-led Safe Spaces
You can click to apply to be a volunteer or a working group member at the below Community-led Safe Spaces. As this is an in-person volunteer role, please only apply for a Safe Space that is close to where you live.
| Name | Location | Apply to volunteer | Website | Social page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Busselton Community Safe Space | "The Shed", Bussell Hwy and Caves road, Busselton Western Australia, 6280 | Apply | Website | Facebook page |
| Castlemaine Safe Space | Senior Citizens Centre: Mechanics Lane, Castlemaine, Victoria | Apply | Website | Facebook page |
| Summer Hill Safe Space | 16 Flour Mill Way Summer Hill NSW, 2130 | Apply | Website | Facebook page |
| Sydney's Northern Beaches MoWaNA | The Mind Café, Shop 3, 1346 Pittwater Road, Narrabeen NSW, 2101 | Apply | Website | Facebook page |
| Cygnet Garden Safe Space | 1 Frederick Street, Cygnet Tasmania, 7112 | Apply | Watch this space | Cygnet Community Hub Facebook page |
| Aunties Safe Space P.I.N.T. | 30 Mahony Court, Driver Northern Territory, 0830 | Apply | Watch this space | Facebook page |
| Mariposa Trails | Glenelg Community Centre, 4 Colley Terrace, Glenelg SA, 5045 | Apply | Website | Facebook page |
| Bunbury Shining Hope Community-led Safe Space | 9 Ramsay street, Bunbury WA, 6230 | Apply | Watch this space | Facebook page |
| Sydney Eastern Suburbs Community-led Safe Space | Eastward Senior Citizens Club, 97 Brooke street, Coogee NSW, 2034 | Apply | Website | Facebook page |
| Blue Mountains Safe Space for Suicide Prevention | 2 Station street, Katoomba NSW, 2780 | Apply | Watch this space | Facebook page |
Support Lines
Should completing this process raise any strong emotions for you and you’d like to speak with someone, here are some National helplines and websites:
Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800 | kidshelpline.com.au
Lifeline: 13 11 14 | lifeline.org.au
Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 | suicidecallbackservice.org.au
Roses in the Ocean SP Peer CARE Companion Warmline: 1800 777 337
Beyond Blue: 1300 24 636 | beyondblue.org.au
QLife: 1800 184 527 | qlife.org.au
Open Arms: 1800 011 046 | openarms.gov.au
13YARN: 13 92 76 | 13yarn.org.au
Headspace: 1800 650 890 | headspace.org.au
ReachOut: au.reachout.com
Everymind: everymind.org.au/need-help-now