Talk Out Loud Australia

16/10/2026

This week in RAW&REAL…

THE HIDDEN COST OF CARING TOO MUCH 💚

People see the gala ball, the beautiful donated items, the excitement and the incredible community coming together to make something special happen.

What they don't always see is what goes on behind the scenes.

As a volunteer with Talk Out Loud Australia, the last few weeks have been a whirlwind. The organising, the chasing, the planning, the endless to-do lists. It's exciting, absolutely, but bloody exhausting too. And when you care deeply about what you're doing, it's almost impossible not to let it get under your skin.

But there's been another side to these past few weeks that's affected us in ways we didn't necessarily expect.

We've been fortunate to have some absolutely incredible people donate items for our gala ball. Along with that generosity have come conversations, stories and heartbreak. Stories of su***de loss, of losing children and loved ones, of grief that never really goes away, and of people struggling with their own mental health.

And sometimes, you finish one of those conversations and just sit with it for a while.

Because these aren't just stories. They're real people carrying things that most of us will never fully understand. And you can't simply switch off from that because there's another email to answer or another job to do.

It's heartbreaking. But it's also a powerful reminder of WHY we do what we do.

It's easy to get caught up in ticket sales, budgets, deadlines and whether everything will come together. We've certainly had our moments over the past few weeks when the pressure has felt enormous.

But something we're genuinely proud of is that we've navigated this differently. In the past, the stress might have consumed us. We might have gone down that familiar rabbit hole and lost sight of everything else.

This time, we're trying to keep things in perspective, have a laugh when we can, support each other and remember that we're human too. We're not getting everything perfect, but we're learning that we can care deeply without allowing the pressure to completely consume us.

And those conversations we've had have reminded us that this is so much bigger than a gala ball.

It's about the young person who feels nobody understands them. The family trying to make sense of a devastating loss. The person struggling quietly, wondering where to turn.

That's the WHY. And it's a bloody important why.

Next week, we'll celebrate ten years of Talk Out Loud Australia, surrounded by the generosity and support of an incredible community. There'll be music, laughter and plenty to celebrate, but behind it all are the lives, the stories and the people who make this work matter.

To everyone who has donated, shared their story, offered their time or supported us along the way, thank you. Some of those conversations have touched us more deeply than you'll ever know.

We're proud of what we're building, proud of the people standing beside us, and proud that even in the middle of all the chaos, we've kept coming back to what matters most.

Because it's never just about the event. It's about the people behind it.

And that's why we keep showing up. 💚💙

Kerry 💜

10/10/2026

✨ WE’RE BOOKED OUT! 🖤💛

300 PEOPLE. TEN YEARS. ONE INCREDIBLE NIGHT.

ALL our tables for the Talk Out Loud Australia 10th Anniversary Gala Ball are now booked! And honestly, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. To have 300 people joining us to celebrate ten years of stories, connection, hope and resilience means more than words can say. ❤️

BUT THERE’S STILL TIME! 🎉

You have just 24 HOURS LEFT to grab one of the few remaining individual tickets. While our tables are fully booked, we’ll do our best to find you a seat at another table!

This is more than a gala ball. It’s ten years of showing up for young people, creating connection and reminding people that they are never alone.

On October 23, let's dress up, laugh, maybe shed a few tears, and dance the night away. Let's celebrate the lives of those we've lost, honour those who have helped us get here, and look forward to the future and all the stories still to be written.

Let's celebrate life. Because your story isn't over yet. 💚

📅 Friday, October 23, 2026
📍 JDF Receptions, Windsor Gardens
🎟️ A few individual tickets remain — book within the next 24 hours!

Thank you for being part of our story. We can't wait to celebrate with you!

Use code YES to get $30 off an individual ticket.

https://events.humanitix.com/talk-out-loud-tenth-anniversary-gala-your-story-isnt-over-yet

09/10/2026

RAW & REAL 💚 The things we grieve that nobody sends flowers for.

As we recognise Mental Health Month, we want to talk about something that doesn't always get the attention it deserves, because grief isn't always about losing someone we love, and sometimes the losses that hurt the most are the ones nobody else even realises we're carrying.

It's the friendship that slowly fades away, the relationship that ends after years of trying to make it work, the family you thought would always be there for you, or the version of yourself you remember being before life became complicated and you found yourself just trying to get through each day. It can be the dream that never happened, the opportunities you missed, the childhood you wish had been different, or the future you imagined that no longer looks anything like the one you're living.

Sometimes we grieve people who are still alive, relationships that no longer feel safe, and the feeling of belonging somewhere we once called home. Sometimes we grieve the person we used to be, the confidence we once had, or the parts of ourselves we've had to put aside while we spent years looking after everyone else.

And because nobody sees a funeral, nobody sends flowers, and nobody necessarily asks how we're coping, we can find ourselves questioning whether we're even entitled to feel this way. We tell ourselves that other people have it worse, that we should be grateful for what we have, or that we simply need to pull ourselves together and move on, when what we might actually need is the space to acknowledge that something mattered to us, and that losing it has hurt.

The truth is that these experiences can have a profound impact on our mental health, even when we struggle to put them into words or feel that our grief isn't significant enough to talk about. We don't always need someone to fix things or tell us to look on the bright side; sometimes we just need someone who is willing to sit beside us, listen without judgement, and acknowledge that what we're feeling is real.

So, this Mental Health Month, we're getting Raw and Real about the things we grieve that nobody sends flowers for, because every loss doesn't need to be visible to deserve compassion, and every person who is struggling deserves to be heard.

💚 What is something you've grieved that the world didn't necessarily recognise as a loss?

You never know who might need to hear your story, and sometimes the simple act of putting our experiences into words can help someone else realise they're not alone.

TOL 💚💙

07/10/2026

🐘💙 MEET THE HOPE ELEPHANT 💙🐘

As we celebrate 10 incredible years of Talk Out Loud, we're inviting you to take home a very special symbol of hope.

Introducing our adorable Hope Elephants, available for $200 each at our 10th Anniversary Gala Ball and if you are unable to attend on the night we are offering you the opportunity to buy your Hope Elephant before the ball -

https://talk-out-loud.grassrootz.com/become-a-hope-bearer?fbclid=IwdGRjcAUy8g5jbGNrBTLyCWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHBkb2YFc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMzUwNjg1NTMxNzI4AAEerfYWx0nH1GEkufBr5GQPMX0kGUeNUv9wNGaPbyCAa5qEjAU29v7HoQZklnc_aem_YEVanTDlfj0PiGm3ipCd3A&utm_id=97758_v0_s00_e0_tv2_a1demo0e1oywi3

More than just a keepsake, every Hope Elephant purchased helps raise vital funds for Talk Out Loud's life-changing youth programs, including:

✨ Youth Empowerment Camps that provide safe, supportive spaces for young people to build resilience, connection and confidence.

✨ THRIVE, a welcoming community hub where meaningful conversations, social connection, wellbeing activities and support programs help people feel seen, heard and valued. 

✨ REAL Talk, creating safe opportunities for young people to share their stories, find their voice and build genuine connections with others. 

✨ Teen Mental Health First Aid, equipping young people with practical skills to recognise and respond to mental health challenges. 

For a decade, Talk Out Loud has been committed to helping young Australians feel safe, heard and included, creating hope through courageous conversations and meaningful support. 

When you purchase a Hope Elephant, you're not simply buying a treasured memento from our Gala Ball. You're investing in brighter futures, stronger connections and the wellbeing of young people in our community.

💙 $200 = Hope in Action 💙 Limited Hope Elephants Available 💙 Every Purchase Makes a Difference

Together, let's celebrate 10 years of impact and help ensure the next 10 years continue to change lives.

04/10/2026

Huge effort from volunteers and students on placement at Bunnings Modbury raising enough funds to sponsor 5 young people on our next camp. Thank you team!

03/10/2026

You’re invited! Come and join us for our 10th Anniversary Gala Ball generously supported by Deepa N Manoj Bhindi at the Cheesecake Shop in Salisbury!

Enter the discount code YES on the link below for a special Cheesecake shop discount and Cheesecake Shop (Salisbury) voucher!

https://events.humanitix.com/talk-out-loud-tenth-anniversary-gala-your-story-isnt-over-yet/tickets

02/10/2026

This week in RAW&REAL I’m sharing a post that came up in my memories from 4 years ago

“Sitting here after my vanilla slice n getting all philosophical about life…

Many years ago mum was told I would spend the rest of my life in Glenside

A few years after that I had an ESAT at Centrelink and they said I’d never work again

So many times in my life I’ve been knocked down, told I shouldn’t or COULDN’T do something!

It got me thinking, what if I had listened???

Where would I be??

Makes me grateful that I didn’t listen, I didn’t quit and that I, despite questioning it sometimes, I BELIEVED IN MYSELF!!!

You have all seen me go through hard times over the years but one thing you have and will never see me do is quit!!

I’m like the deaf frog!

A frog decided to reach the top
of the tree. All the frogs shouted,
it's impossible, it's impossible.
Still the frog reaches the top. How?
He was deaf. And he thought
everyone was encouraging
him to reach the top.
"Be deaf to negative
thoughts, if your aim is to
reach your goal."

There’s been many different versions of me over the years but throughout all the years I have been true to myself and each year I have become a better version than the year before.

“And that’s all there is to say about that”

Kerry 💜💚💙

01/10/2026

💚 What a week at Talk Out Loud! 💙

We’ve delivered the third and final Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) session and a bespoke Mental Health Awareness workshop, giving people the confidence and skills to recognise when someone might be struggling and know what to do next.

And this week, another 24 people are now Mental Health Awareness trained! 🙌

A massive thank you to everyone who took part, asked questions, shared openly and helped make the workshops such a positive experience.

And a special thank you to the City of Tea Tree Gully for supporting our work and helping us create more opportunities for our community to talk openly about mental health. 💚

24 more people who know that checking in can make a difference.

29/09/2026

FREE Mental Health Awareness workshop this Thursday night. Please register asap :)

Learn to recognise signs, start supportive conversations and confidently connect people with help.

25/09/2026

RAW & REAL 💙

There is a side to community work that most people never see, and I think sometimes we do ourselves a disservice by only showing the good bits. We share the photographs when everyone is smiling, the young person who has achieved something amazing, the successful event, the award, the fundraising result or the exciting announcement. And of course we should celebrate those things, because they matter. But behind every one of those moments is usually a whole lot of stuff that never makes it into the photograph.

There are days when running a small community organisation feels incredibly heavy. There are grant applications that take hours to write, with no guarantee of anything at the end of it. There are bills to pay, people to chase, paperwork to complete, programs to keep going, people who say they'll help and then disappear, and decisions that have to be made when there simply aren't enough hours in the day or enough money in the bank. And in a small organisation, that weight can often fall on the same few shoulders.

What people don't always understand is that community organisations are often held together by people who care enormously about what they're doing. That passion gets you through a lot, but it can also make it incredibly difficult to switch off. When you genuinely care about the young person who needs you or the program you desperately want to keep running, it isn't always possible to simply say, "That's enough for today, I'll deal with it tomorrow." Sometimes your head keeps going long after the laptop has been closed.

And I don't think this is just the reality of running a charity. I think it's the reality for so many people trying to do something that matters. The small business owner worrying about making payroll, the parent holding a family together while quietly struggling themselves, the volunteer who keeps saying yes because they know nobody else is going to do it, or the person who looks completely fine from the outside while carrying something incredibly heavy that nobody else knows about.

Perhaps that's why, behind the scenes, we've already started doing what well-run organisations need to do: looking ahead. We're developing our strategic plan for next year, and one of the really important things we've recognised is that we need to collaborate much more with other charities and organisations. We don't want the responsibility for every fundraiser, every event and every dollar needed to keep our work going to continually fall on the same shoulders. There is so much more we can achieve when we work together, share resources and support each other rather than everyone trying to do everything alone.

And that's also why this year's Gala Ball will be our last ball in this particular format. It's been an incredible part of our story, but sometimes being sustainable means having the courage to say, "This is working, but there must be a better way." We want to put more energy into the work that actually changes young people's lives and find smarter, more collaborative ways of supporting it.

So, if you've been thinking about coming to our Gala Ball on October 23, we'd absolutely love to see you. But if you can't attend, there is another way you can be part of it. When you visit the ticketing page, you'll see an option to donate towards allowing a young person to attend the Gala. For many of our young people, an event of this size is simply beyond what they can afford, and being given the opportunity to dress up, walk through those doors and feel included in something like this would genuinely mean the world to them.

Sometimes making a difference isn't about doing something enormous. Sometimes it's simply making sure someone who normally wouldn't get the opportunity gets to be part of the room.

Because behind every organisation, every fundraiser and every success story are real people doing their best to make something meaningful happen. And sometimes the most important thing we can do is stop pretending we have to carry it all alone.

https://events.humanitix.com/talk-out-loud-tenth-anniversary-gala-your-story-isnt-over-yet/tickets

That's Raw & Real. 💙