The Illawarra Mercury's suicide prevention campaign, Care To QPR: Question, Persuade, Refer, has been named as a finalist for a 2019 LiFE award.
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The campaign will be a national finalist in the 16th Annual LiFE Awards recognising excellence in suicide prevention.
The awards will be presented as part of Suicide Prevention Australia's national conference in Melbourne in July.
Chair of the LIFE Awards judging panel Dr Vanessa Lee said the awards "celebrate the commitment and energy of the nominees and their vital contribution to the reduction of suicide within our communities".
The campaign, which was launched last July and ran until RUOK Day? in September, told people's deeply personal lived experiences with suicide and encouraged the community to take an online QPR training course. The campaign was done in partnership with the Illawarra Shoalhaven Suicide Prevention Collaborative.
In nominating the Mercury for the award, regional manager of the Suicide Prevention Collaborative Alex Hains said the campaign was "compassionate, considerate, and collaborative".
As part of the campaign, $20,000 in funding was secured from the NSW and federal government to allow thousands of people in the Illawarra to undertake the QPR course online for free. Over the course of the campaign, 2953 signed up for the course.
Mercury editor Julian O'Brien said it was fitting recognition for the great work of the team, led by the Mercury's head of news Lisa Wachsmuth.
"This campaign showed how the media can play a positive role in sharing people's life stories and encourage their community to actively make a difference," Mr O'Brien said.
"it was a terrific partnership with the Illawarra Shoalhaven Suicide Prevention Collaborative and will hopefully show people what can be achieved.
"Yet the greatest thing this campaign reinforced was 'hope'. Everyone can be a beacon of hope and the stories people told reinforced there is always hope, even when you think there is none."
For support call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511.
