20 Hours of Silence for Youth Mental Health.
I’m Taking On the 20 Hours for 20Talk Challenge
This challenge will see me sitting in a 2x2 metre square in a warehouse with 400 other participants—no talking and no technology. All I’ll have is a chair, sleeping mat, journal, water, and food.
I’m doing this to honour my late partner, Darcy, who died by suicide in August 2020. Losing him exposed me to the harsh reality of mental illness and forced me to confront my own struggles in learning to live in the wake of his death. What I experienced was only a small fraction of what he lived with.
The stats are confronting:
- Suicide remains the leading cause of death for young people aged 15–44
- Only 2% of mental health funding goes towards prevention (Mental Health Commission, 2022)
I’m completing the 20 Hours for 20Talk Challenge to help change these numbers. Your support goes directly towards 20Talk’s prevention campaigns—making mental health education accessible, relatable, and engaging for young people.
Your donation helps:
- Every $120 funds a young person’s place in a one-day Mental Health Maintenance course
- Expand 20Talk’s online resources and 60,000+ strong community
- Deliver large-scale, interactive mental health events
Mental Health Maintenance (MHM) is a free, one-day workshop designed with industry experts to help people better understand and engage with their wellbeing. It provides practical tools to monitor and maintain mental health before reaching crisis point.
Thank you so much for supporting a cause that means so much to me.
Love you guys,
Em x
