Donate

Lifeline operates thanks to the support of our army of volunteers, and the generosity of our sponsors and donors.  Without this help, Lifeline could not provide such valuable services free of charge.

Your local Lifeline Centre is staffed by local volunteers.  By donating to your local Lifeline Centre, or by volunteering to be trained either as a counsellor or in a support role, you are directly helping your community.

You can donate by phoning the office on 02 6651 4093, the warehouse on 02 6658 0821. 

Our donation bins are located at:  Woolgoolga BP, Moonee Beach shop, Sandy Beach, Bray St Shopping Complex, rear of Park Beach Plaza, Bonville, Bellingen, Woolgoolga Uniting Church and all four shops and Warehouse.

Elecronic transfers can be made to:                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Account name:  Lifeline North Coast (NSW)                                                                                                                                              Account number:  153745                                                                                                                                                                          BSB:  704 328                                                                                                                                                                                                    Institution:  BCU

Cheque, cash and money orders made payable to Lifeline North Coast (NSW) can be sent to:                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Lifeline North Coast, PO Box 2041, Coffs Harbour  NSW  2450                                                        

Note                                                                                                                                                                                                                       We would like to send all our donors a thank you and a tax receipt therefore it is essential (if you donate via an electronic transfer) that you contact us (either via post, telephone or email) to let us know the amount you have donated and the date on which you made the donation together with your contact details.  Without this information we are unable to receipt donations and we won't be able to thank you.

Lifeline Services

RESPONDING TO CHANGING COMMUNITY NEEDS

Who Uses Lifeline

People turn to Lifeline because they are struggling with one or more elements of their life. Not only the marginalised, the disadvantaged and the poor need help from Lifeline. There is no means test to determine whose life will be affected by trauma, adversity and heartbreak. People from all walks of life benefit. That is why Lifeline's work is so vital: it is inclusive and wide-ranging.

Ongoing Training of Telephone Counsellors

Each year, Lifeline North Coast (NSW) trains new volunteers to become telephone counsellors. Our telephone counsellor training is highly regarded in its ability to provide participants with practical skills in active listening, relationship building, questioning and self-awareness. Specific knowledge is also gained in the areas of grief and loss, suicide, domestic violence, drug & alcohol and mental health.

Training of new counsellors each year, in-service training and ongoing supervision is essential in order that the service maintains its high quality of operation.

Face-to-Face Counselling

The face-to-face counselling service continues to be a major focus of Lifeline North Coast's work and provides a strong support to our telephone counselling service and personal development programs.  Those seeking counselling are often dealing with relationship difficulties and the associated emotional distress, grief, depression, and lack of close family or community support.  This confidential counselling offers both therapeutic and educational benefits for couples, families, and individuals of all ages in a brief therapy format.  Qualified counsellors are professionally supervised and trained in a range of approaches to take account of the thinking, emotional and spiritual dimensions of human nature.  Demand continues to increase for this service.

Problem Gambling Counselling

Financial Counselling

is also a free service.

Community Disaster Recovery

Lifeline North Coast is building its capacity to provide a counselling response to the community during the recovery period following a disaster.  Inquiries following recent floods and other locally specific disasters have indicated a high need for this type of service.  It will involve teams of specially trained counsellors who remain in the disaster area to provide support, debrief emergency service workers, and assist individuals and families to adjust to the trauma of their experience.

Suicide Prevention Training

The two-day ASIST workshop is one of the most extensively evaluated suicide intervention training programs.  ASIST moves beyond suicide awareness to help participants develop skills in how to recognise and respond to a person at risk, linking them to further help.  Suicide Prevention Workshops are held in Coffs Harbour, for more details please contact the office on 6651 4093 or visit the website on www.livingworks.org.au

Business Services

Lifeline North Coast (NSW) has been entirely self-funded, but this is an increasing challenge. Our major financial support comes through the sale of new and second hand clothing and goods. We operate four retail shops and a warehouse, staffed by over 250 volunteers. Apart from generating income, these outlets provide an important community service by ensuring access to affordable clothing

Administration

PO Box 2041
COFFS HARBOUR NSW 2450
Ph:02 6651 4093
Fax: 02 6650 0777
email:ndemenyll@bigpond.com

Warehouse

Shop 3E/10 Cook Drive
Coffs Harbour NSW 2450
Ph: 02 6658 0821
Fax: 02 6650 9843

Shops

Coffs Harbour

Cnr Vernon and Gordon Streets
COFFS HARBOUR NSW 2450
Ph: 02 6651 1919

Toormina

Minorca Place
TOORMINA NSW 2452
Ph: 02 6658 5044

Grafton

87 Prince Street
GRAFTON NSW 2460
Ph: 02 6642 5971

Nambucca Heads

1 Centenary Parade
NAMBUCCA HEADS NSW 2448
Ph: 02 6568 7845

Without question it is the dedication, commitment, and loyalty of our volunteers that is and will continue to be the cornerstone of the organisation's success.

Links

Lifeline's services related websites

Resources for individuals, professionals, families and communities.

Lifeline International
Lifeline provides a mantle of compassion, linking people with people and country with country.

Lifeline Service Finder
A comprehensive database of low cost or free health and community services offered throughout Australia.

Living Works / Suicide Prevention
A suicide prevention scheme, auspiced by Lifeline Australia.

Other Useful Websites

Attention Deficit Disorder, Parenting South Australia
Helping parents be their best.

Auseinet
Australian network for promotion, prevention and early intervention for mental health.

Beyond Blue
An Australia site with information on depression.

BluePages Information on Depression
Information about depression for consumers, produced by the Centre for Mental Health Research at the Australian National University, CSIRO Mathematical & Information Sciences with the assistance of an advisory board.

Carers Australia
Supporting information for carers including parents, families, teachers, friends, and professional carers of people with disacility and mental illness.

Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression
A group of researchers and clinicians concerned with anxiety and depression. The website provides self help information and facts about mental illness such as depression, panic attacks and anxiety.

Headroom
Formerly known as Partnership with Young People Project (PYPP), a South Australian mental health promotion project managed by the Division of Mental Health, Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide. This website aims to inform young people, their caregivers and service providers about positive mental health.

Health Insite
A portal to mental health issues.

Kids Helpline
A national telephone counselling service for young people aged between 5-18 years. Free call - 1800 55 1800.

LivingWorks Education, Inc (Canada)

MoodGYM
Training programs about cognitive behaviour therapy for preventing depression.

Multicultural Mental Health Australia
Multicultural Mental Health Australia provides national leadership in mental health and suicide prevention for Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and works to promotr better mental health and well-being for a diverse community.

Reach Out!
An initiative of the Inspire Foundation for young people to help themselves and get involved in their community through difficult times

SANE Australia
A national charity helping people affected by mental illness. SANE Australia Helpline Free call - 1800 18 SANE (7263).

The Australian Governmment Department of Health and Aging

The Mental Health Council of Australia
An independent, non-government sector peak body established under the National Mental Health Strategy to represent and promote the interests of the mental health sector and advise on mental health in Australia.

The World Federal of Mental Health
Founded in 1948 to advance, among all people and nationa, the prevention of mental and emotional disorders, the proper treatment and care of thos with such disorders, and the promotion of mental health.

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.

Volunteer with us

Become a Volunteer!

Volunteering can be a valuable and enriching way to spend your spare time.  Or it can be a great way to re-join the workforce after a break.  It can be a means to further skills, to meet new people and at the same time, contribute to our society as a whole.

Volunteering can provide on-the-job training for jobseekers, offering experience in a busy working environment.  Lifeline can also provide a productive and enjoyable opportunity for retirees.

Our next Telephone Counselling training course will commence in Coffs Harbour on Monday 12 March 2012 with an information evening being held mid February at the Uniting Church Hall, cnr Gordon & Vernon Sts, all are welcome.  We will also be running a course in January 2012 in Grafton. 

Volunteer Positions

 All volunteer positions with Lifeline North Coast (NSW) are advertised at our eRecruit Centre

• Telephone Crisis Support  
• Shop Assistants
• Clothing Sorters and Cutters
• Maintenance
• Truck Drivers
• Fundraising Events

Contact us for more information:

Phone: 02 6651 4093
Email: ndemenyll@bigpond.com