By Melissa Blewitt

Black Dog Ride’s Condobolin Annual One Dayer took place on Sunday, 16 March.

Forty-four riders began at the Lachlan Shire Information Centre in Condobolin, passing through Forbes, Parkes, Bogan Gate and Fifield to help start a national conversation about depression and suicide prevention.

By showing their support and/or donating, locals will help to break down the barrier of silence and encourage friends, family and colleagues to seek help to manage mental illness so they can lead a meaningful, fulfilling life; and to fundraise for community projects in regional communities just like Condobolin.

Black Dog Ride began in 2009 as a motorcycle ride to raise awareness of depression, evolving into a national charity involving thousands of Australians who have raised millions for mental health programs and fostered mental health awareness around the nation.

To date, close to $4 million has been raised by Black Dog Ride across the country to help raise much needed awareness about depression and suicide prevention within regional communities

Statistics show 8.6 Australians (ABS, 2022) die every day by suicide and 75 per cent of those who take their own life are male (ABS 2022).

For more information on Black Dog Ride and the One Dayer, please visit www.blackdogride.org.au or keep up to date on the Black Dog Ride Facebook page

For those who want to donate to Black Dog Ride, head to: https://www.blackdogride.org.au/view/donate

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, or with someone who is, please act promptly, keep yourself and/or the person in crisis safe, and call the helplines below who provide crisis support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If the situation is life-threatening, call 000 immediately.

Lifeline Crisis Support – 13 11 14

Samaritans Helpline – 135 247

Lifeline Online Crisis Support Chat Service – (7pm – Midnight AEDT)

Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467

Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800

MensLine Australia – 1300 789 978

SANE Australia Helpline – 1800 18 7263

Veteran’s Line – 1800 011 046

ADF All Hours Line – 1800 628 036

Family Violence Crisis Line – 1800 737 732

Mates in Construction – 1300 642 111

StandBy – Support After Suicide – 1300 727 247