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Every dollar counts  
$35 Provides one 'People in Crisis' training manual
$50 Subsidises one counselling session
$100 Provides one training workshop
$250 Sponsors suicide intervention training for one telephone counsellor
$1,000 Sponsors one Dads'n'Kids camp
$2,500 Comprehensively trains one telephone counsellor
$5,000 Trains one suicide intervention trainer
$25,000 Sponsors the Individuals, Families and Couples Counselling Service
$125,000 Sponsors Lifeline LivingWorks
$250,000 Sponsors Lifeline WA's Telephone Counselling Service
 
    
   

Lifeline History
  

It was a Sunday night, just after midnight, when the telephone shattered the silence at the home of Rev. Dr. Sir 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 this 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.

Created in June 1962 under the auspices of the Central Methodist Mission the new organisation aimed to extend a ‘lifeline to people in extreme crisis, in particular suicidal crisis’. The first Lifeline Centre commenced operation from its premises in Sydney at 5pm on Saturday, March 6, 1963. A total of 41 Lifeline centres have since been established throughout Australia and over 300 member and affiliated Centres have been established in 12 other countries across the world. These centres were either newly established Lifeline centres or pre-existing centres that became affiliated with Lifeline. These centres retain local autonomy but are affiliated with Lifeline Australia or Lifeline International by compliance to the Lifeline standards of accreditation.
 
Lifeline in WA
 

The Living Stone Foundation T/A Lifeline WA is a Christian-based not-for-profit organisation that was founded in the mid-1980’s by Baptist Minister Graham Mabury in response to community needs identified during his Nightline program on Radio 6PR. Starting with off-air Nightline Counsellors and Santa’s Workshop ’Elves’, the Foundation provided counselling support for Callers to the Nightline program, as well as material aid in the form of winter blankets and Christmas food hampers and toys to those hurting or in need in the community.

An early initiative of the Foundation was to propose ’interagency appeals’, whereby community service organisations collaborated with Lifeline to increase the community sectors’ leverage power; maximise pooled resources; and increase the ability to meet community equitably. Today, Lifeline WA coordinates Charity Link Inc., appeals on behalf of the representative committee. The Charity Link appeals supply between 100+ agencies every year with winter blankets and Christmas food hampers and toys for their clients.

In the mid 1990’s, the Foundation merged with the operations of Life In Focus, an emergency relief group operated by the Churches of Christ. Part of this group included the ’Lone Fathers Family Support Service’ (now known as Dads@Lifeline).

In 1994, the Foundation was accredited by Lifeline Australia to operate as a Lifeline Centre in WA (the 41st centre to begin operation in Australia).

In June 2003 Lifeline WA opened its first regional centre in Karratha called Lifeline Pilbara. A second centre, Lifeline Peel, commenced operations on 31 January 2006.

In July 2007 two new centres will commence; Lifeline Subiaco and Lifeline Murdoch. At the same time, regretfully Lifeline Pilbara will close. Regardless of this closure, Lifeline WA anticipates that it shall be better placed to improve on overall capacity to answer calls to 13 11 14.

With a dedicated Volunteer Team of more than 350 supported efficiently by a paid Team of just 15 FTE, Lifeline WA’s specialist services are accessed more than 14,300 times annually by the people of Western Australia. These services include 24-hour crisis Telephone Counselling; Lifeline LivingWorks Suicide Intervention Training; Individuals, Couples & Families Counselling; and Dads@Lifeline.