Lifeline marks 60th birthday with call for more volunteers and funding, amid a mental health crisis

Lifeline Hunter CEO Rob Sams said the Hunter service had played an important role in the organisation's history and development.

With people increasingly facing long waits to see psychologists and psychiatrists, Mr Sams highlighted that Lifeline was "accessible 24/7 and free, which means you don't have to wait".

"We can provide referrals across the country to where you might be able to get specialist support.

"At the heart of our service is non-judgemental listening. It sounds simple, but whatever you are sick of, upset or anxious about, it can be hard to tell people because you can feel judged [even if it was unintentional].

"Our service is anonymous. We can be an entry point to start to work through challenges people have."

The Newcastle Herald reported on Wednesday that mental health services in the Hunter can be hard to access, with increased demand for services and workforce shortages.

The NSW Branch of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists highlighted the sector's statewide problems, ahead of the NSW election on March 25.

Mr Sams told the Herald that the mental health system can be "tricky and challenging for people to navigate, remembering that those people are often in some kind of crisis or distress, which only amplifies that".

He said Lifeline's calls - before COVID, floods and bush fires - were about 2500 a day nationally.

"They're now averaging more than 3000 calls a day. When you add text and chat, there's nearly 3700 contacts a day to Lifeline," he said.

Lifeline chairwoman Jacinta Munro said the service had "never been needed more".

The service began in Sydney in 1963 after Sir Alan Walker took a call from a distressed man who later took his own life.

Sir Alan launched what would become the organisation's 24/7 telephone crisis service. Lifeline took 100 calls on its first day. It has now taken more than 23 million calls.

The Hunter operation began in a similar manner in 1966. Reverend John Chegwidden received a distressed call from a man wanting to know if Lifeline had a Hunter service.

In May that year, Lifeline Hunter moved into its first premises in Lawson Street, Hamilton and began taking calls from people in crisis.

"Our Hunter crisis support centre now has 50 local volunteers taking calls to the 13 11 14 service every day of the year," Mr Sams said.

"We also offer local suicide prevention and mental health support training, face-to-face and online counselling and other suicide prevention and bereavement support programs," he said.

"Lifeline couldn't do what it does, nationally and locally, without the support of its selfless volunteers, sponsors, donors, community, government and business partners and dedicated staff."

More crisis volunteers are needed, along with funding to train and support them.

Details at lifelinehunter.org.au or phone 1300 152 854.

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