Geelong’s newly refurbished Lifeline call centre is now the largest in Australia.
The centre, which was officially opened on May 26, now has 13 seats, more than doubling its previous capacity of six.
Lifeline Geelong and South West Victoria general manager Jason Doherty said the refurbishment of the existing centre will provide better facilities for Lifeline’s crisis supporters to be there for people in times of need.
“Lifeline has increased the number of Geelong based crisis supporters – the people who answer calls to 13 11 14 – from eight to 74,” he said.
“Of the 74, 38 are day-shift volunteers and 36 are part-paid overnight crisis supported.”
Mr Doherty said calls to 13 11 14 are up 25 per cent over the past two years.
Ian Palmer has been a volunteer crisis supporter for three years and started in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“While challenging at times, it is very rewarding to be there for people in the local community in their time of crisis – to listen without judgement, acknowledge their pain, and to offer hope,” he said.
“Sadly, many people who experience mental ill health continue to be misunderstood. Many people are struggling with problems such as relationship breakdowns, cost of living pressures, the impacts of COVID-19 and recent natural disasters and being lonely or isolated from family and friends.”
The new crisis support centre is being named after long serving local Lifeline volunteer, Joe Crosbie. Mr Crosbie, who lost his son to suicide, served on the local Lifeline board from 1997 to 2019. He was chair from 2011 to 2019. He also volunteered on Lifeline Australia’s board from 2004 to 2008.
