For the last 2 years Feel has helped NDM with their lifeline support and Christmas cards. In 2011 News Digital donated $10.00 to Lifeline on each of their clients behalf, to help fund the launch of Lifeline’s Online Crisis Support Chat platform in 2012. Lifeline anticipates that the service will provide emotional support to 35,000 Australians each year.

NDM and Feel joined forces to work on the Lifeline campaign in 2010. Last year’s donation contributed to the funding of a five month trial of the chat platform.

The one-to-one chat service is an Australian first, and the trial received an overwhelmingly positive response, it allowed Lifeline to reach new help-seekers and those who may not have been comfortable using their 13 11 14 phone service. It also directly saved 12 lives.

Compared to callers to Lifeline’s phone service, help-seekers using the chat tool tended to be younger ,from regional or remote areas and more likely to be seeking support around suicide related or emotional issues.

This year’s donation went towards making the chat service available permanently.

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