About Lifeline

The Lifeline Story

It started with a midnight phone call...

It was a Sunday night in Sydney, just after midnight, when the telephone shattered the silence at the home of Rev Alan Walker, Superintendent of Sydney's Central Methodist Mission.

"This is Roy speaking," said a quiet voice on the  other end.  "I have just written you a letter, which you will receive on Monday morning.  By that time I will be dead.  I am sorry to worry you, but there is really no-one who cares what happens to me..."

The loneliness and desperation of the suicidal man along with many similar experiences prompted Rev Walker and others to establish Lifeline, a 24 hour Telephone Counselling Service staffed by trained volunteers ready to help people at their moment of crisis.

Since it's beginnings in 1962 Lifeline has been established in 14 countries around the world.  In Australia 42 Lifeline centres receive over 400,000 calls each year.

About Lifeline North Coast (NSW)

Lifeline North Coast (NSW) provides a telephone counselling service.  The service is delivered by volunteers who are skilled and equipped to assist those who call by providing counselling support and referral options.

More than 10,000 calls for help were received over the last 12 months.  Our telephones are manned 24 hours a day, every day of the year by around 70 volunteer telephone counsellors.  All our counsellors are volunteers, and go through an extensive and ongoing training program to ensure we provide the highest possible qualilty service to the community.

This service has been operating in Coffs Harbour for 20 years.  We also have a sub-centre in Grafton.

We also provide other community services, these include general face-to-face counselling, free problem gambling counselling and education sessions, free financial counselling, carers counselling and suicide intervention workshops.

Mission Statement for Lifeline North Coast (NSW)

To enhance individual and community wellbeing by providing quality 24 hour telephone counselling and complementary services, given with care and respect acknowledging the need to empower people to take responsibility for their own actions.