UWA: The Living Room: Power of Collective Giving
Session Description: In 2021, in response to the pandemic and to address an increasing mental health crisis, a pilot project called The Living Room (TLR) was officially launched at The University of Western Australia (UWA). Believed to be the first initiative of its kind on a university campus in Australia, TLR provides students with a well-being ‘safe space’ that offers low-barrier, peer-to-peer support for students who are struggling with their mental health. The services are provided by student peer support workers and in-house clinical psychologists. To date over 3000 students have accessed the service.
Development and Alumni Relations (DAR), in partnership with UWA Student Success and Wellbeing (SSW) team, secured $700,000 pilot funding required to run the program. By taking a collaborative approach, DAR was able to reach its goal under 18 months through a variety of channels: major giving, COVID relief appeal, global alumni giving, and a subsequent student phone appeal.