Today is RU OK Day here in Australia.
The charity formed by Gavin Larkin, was to honour his father Barry’s memory after suicide. He started RU OK to help prevent other family’s going through the pain that his did.
Sadly Gavin died himself of cancer in 2011, but not before he had inspired many to get behind a national day of suicide prevention.
AUSTRALIAN STORY
And collaborating with TV Producer Janina Nearn, ABC television’s Australian Story created a documentary. It raised awareness of the problem with a simple but powerful message.
A CONVERSATION CAN CHANGE A LIFE
In 2017, the crew went back to see how Gavin’s legacy was carrying on and how it was helping sustain his family.
You can watch the episode here on ABC I View
And the charity has grown from strength to strength and has become a countrywide movement.
MISSION
R U OK?’s vision is a world where we’re all connected and are protected from suicide.
‘Our mission is to inspire and empower everyone to meaningfully connect with people around them and support anyone struggling with life’.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Today, and every day take the time out to have a conversation with someone you think may be struggling.
But, if you are not sure where to begin, the RU OK website is a great place for tips and more information.
STARSHELL STUDENT
Here at Starshell Student we are only too aware of the statistics for suicide in this country which are on the rise.
With iniatatives like RU OK and we hope with platforms like our own, we can all help change those figures and save lives.
80% of Australians know about RU OK Day. Let’s try and make it 100%. So go ahead and ask someone today!
RU OK?
