PRESS RELEASE: Bringing greater awareness to suicide prevention.

Tough Times From The Heart
Tobin Brothers Funerals joins forces with SPAN CV to bring greater awareness to suicide prevention.

3144 Australians died by suicide in 2021[1].
From the 1st of January to the 30th of September this year, 549 suicide deaths were reported in Victoria alone[2].
Although these numbers on their own are far too high, they don’t show the impact suicide has on those who are left behind, and the ripple effect it has throughout our community.
What is also missing in these haunting figures, is the real life stories and lived experiences of those whose lives have been touched by suicide.
Tobin Brothers Funerals has partnered with the Suicide Prevention Awareness Network for Central Victoria (SPAN CV) to bring real life stories to light through a series of intimate video interviews, in order to raise community awareness about prevention and the impact of suicide.
Tough Times From The Heart focuses on the lived experience of four individuals who share their incredible stories and insights with journalist and broadcaster Justin Smith.
Alannah McGregor has faced every mother’s nightmare, not once, but twice, losing two of her children to suicide within the space of a month.
Growing up in regional Bendigo, Jed Zimmer was a keen footy player and one of the lads, but behind closed doors, Jed battled with crippling anxiety. Jed thought talking about his issues would make him seem weak but in fact, it was how he found the strength to go on.
Warren Davies might seem like your average Australian farmer, but his inspiring story of resilience, persistence, and determination, has led to him becoming known as ‘The Unbreakable Farmer’.
Knowing all too well the challenges faced by people accessing and navigating support services for mental health issues, Dr. Skye Kinder highlights the importance of seeking help sooner, rather than later, while things are more manageable.
Designed to reduce stigma around suicide and encourage people who are experiencing suicidality and those closest to them to reach out, Tough Times From The Heart is an authentic, confronting, and much-needed insight into the stories behind the statistics.
SPAN CV is a suicide prevention network based in Central Victoria, whose key focus is around reducing stigma associated with suicide.
Their aims are to raise community awareness and demystifying suicide and advocate for support, prevention, awareness and education regarding suicide.
From humble beginnings in 1934, Tobin Brothers has grown to become one of Australia’s largest and most respected family owned funeral companies, serving communities throughout Melbourne and regional Victoria.
While a partnership between a funeral service and a suicide prevention organisation may seem like an odd pairing to some, those familiar with Tobin Brothers know their strong commitment to suicide prevention, through initiatives such as #ListenNow.
“Suicide Prevention has been a passionate focus of mine since 1991,” says Tobin Brothers Managing Director James MacLeod. “Working for Tobin Brothers in Canberra one particularly difficult long weekend, I arranged 7 funerals, 6 of them being suicides.”
“We want people to identify with what we are talking about so they can seek assistance. We want to do as much as we can to educate the wider community on mental health,” says James. “Anything we can do to prevent it, we will.”
The Tough Times From The Heart video series will premiere on both the Tobin Brothers and SPANCV websites from Tuesday the 6th of December 2022, with the videos being released throughout that week until Friday, the 9th.
See below for more information and contact details.

References
[1] Suicide Prevention Australia
[2] Australian Government Institute of Health and Welfare

Key Information
The videos will be launched on Tuesday December 6th, with SPAN CV throwing a launch party in Bendigo to celebrate.
Videos will be released throughout the week until December 9th, and will be available on both the Tobin Brothers and SPAN websites.

Tobin Brothers https://tobinbrothers.com.au
SPAN CV https://spancv.org.au

Video Teasers
Alannah McGregor

Dr Skye Kinder

Jed Zimmer

Warren Davies

Contacts
James MacLeod
Managing Director
Tobin Brothers Funerals
0417 519 782
[email protected]

Alannah McGregor
Secretary
Suicide Prevention Awareness Network (SPAN)
0408 541 082
[email protected]

Need to talk to someone?
● Lifeline: 13 11 14 or https://lifeline.org.au
● Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 or https://beyondblue.org.au
● Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 or https://kidshelpline.com.au
● Headspace: 1800 650 890 or https://headspace.org.au