Lifeline Sydney provides a 24 hour crisis telephone counselling service. The service is delivered by volunteers who are skilled and equipped to assist those who call by providing counselling support and referral options.

 At Lifeline Sydney we have over 200 fully trained volunteers providing telephone counselling support and yet we are still unable to take all the calls.

In response to the crisis amongst our young people, Lifeline is now implementing a number of strategies for youth suicide prevention.

These include:

• Suicide awareness and intervention workshops 
  for those in the community involved with young people.
• Increased profile and relevance of Lifeline to young people and making it an option for young people in distress.
• The development of new programs to provide real practical support for young people at risk and their families.

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Lifeline Sydney's services reflect the Christian vision of caring for people in crisis from all backgrounds and circumstances.

Wesley Mission Vision and Values statement.

The Lifeline Story

It started with a midnight phone call...

It was a Sunday night in Sydney, just after midnight, when the telephone shattered the silence at the home of the Rev 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, buy there is really no-one who cares what happens to me..."

The loneliness and desperation of the 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.

Since its beginnings in 1963 Lifeline has been established in 14 countries around the world. In Australia 42 Lifeline Centres receive over 400,000 calls each year.

In 1993, Lifeline, supported by Telstra, introduced a national number 13 1114 giving all Australians access to Counselling support for the cost of a local call.

Lifeline Australia inc. is the peak body representing the federation of the 42 Lifeline Centres within Australia. Lifeline represents these 42 Centres to National Sponsors, Government and to the Australian Community. Lifeline Australia has the key responsibility of managing the 13 111 4 National phone number and accrediting the Lifeline Centres to use the Lifeline name and identity.

Lifeline Centres are accredited by the Board of Lifeline Australia Inc. for four years and Lifeline Sydney was last accredited in 2003.

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