January 2021 – SOKS – Save Our Kids

Mr Stewart Eldridge, member of the North Gosford Rotary club, was presented with a certificate of merit on behalf of the world-wide recognised leaders in suicide prevention, LivingWorks. He is one of many that make up the SOKS (Save Our Kids) committee, whose goal is to prevent youth suicide and enrich youth life on the Central Coast.

Ms Lindy Macgregor, after awarding Eldridge with the award, commented that the SOKS project was a perfect representation of a community’s ability to connect with one another and assist in preventing suicide. Through raising funds in order to train teachers and Counsellors on the coast, SOKS has and will continue to break the stigma around talking about suicide and decrease the numbers of young people seeing it as their only option.

To read up on specific SOKS data and their future goals in suicide prevention, access the article here https://coastcommunitynews.com.au/central-coast/news/2016/03/rotarys-save-our-kids-project-awarded-for-saving-lives/

Providing training for over 730 teachers and community workers is no mean feat but that’s just what Gosford North Rotary, with the help of Lifeline Central Coast, are doing with their SOKS (Save Our Kids) program.

Sadly, suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians ranging from 15 years to 44 years of age. So this initiative is essential in enabling our teachers in not only knowing what to look for in the way of warning signs, but empowering them with the confidence to ask the tough question, “Are you considering suicide?”

It may be a confronting conversation to start, but in order to assist our young people in getting the help they need, its one that’s most definitely worth having.

To hear first hand how powerful this training has been from a teacher on the Central Coast, read the article linked here. https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/central-coast/save-our-kids-training-helps-spots-signs-of-suicide/news-story/c513249be628144ed0fa5773d5b72a23

Certificate of Recognition for Rotary’s Save Our Kids Project

Upskilling teachers on how to identify at risk youth leads to 100 lives saved.