Suicide prevention charity RU OK? takes to the road to spread its important message.
The RU OK? Conversation Convoy will return to Queensland in 2025 to help communities across the State understand the significant role they can play in looking out for friends, family and colleagues.
Regular road crew member Phil Maher said the Convoy’s three bright yellow vehicles and caravan, that had been converted into a pop-up cafe, were seen as a beacon of hope for communities they visited.
“It is about sharing the RU OK? message and giving people the resources they need to get help,” Phil said.
“Even though we are about public education and are not service providers, what we have found is that just our presence in regional areas gives people permission to come up and have a conversation.
“That happens so often, particularly at truck stops, roadhouses and petrol stations.”
The RU OK? Conversation Convoy takes the suicide prevention charity’s message to regional communities around the country.
Their interactions typically occur at organised events initiated by local groups and range from workshops on how to confidently ask, “Are you OK?”, to free public barbecues, and workplace and school visits.
Planning for the 2025 Queensland tour is underway and community organisations can request an RU OK? event through the charity’s website.
Conversation Convoy road crew member Phil Maher.
Phil, a former boilermaker who has been part of the R U OK? Conversation Convoy for five years, said the problems people faced were similar everywhere.
“The struggles that people have on the eastern seaboard aren’t much different to the regional and remote areas,” he said.
“People have financial troubles, they might have lost someone, they might have had a marriage breakup; the emotions around that are all the same, it’s just the setting and the context that change.”
Phil stressed the importance of community support for mental health.
“It’s often challenging for individuals to admit they’re struggling or seek help for themselves,” he said.
“What makes our work special is that we empower families, friends, colleagues, and neighbours to assist those affected rather than leaving it solely to the individual. We give them the confidence to ask people in their lives, ‘Are you doing OK?’”
We give them the confidence to ask people in their lives, ‘Are you doing OK?’