The Reach Foundation, a charity started by former AFL player Jim Stynes, has appointed Fergus Watts as their new CEO.
Started in 1994, the Reach Foundation aims to provide targeted support and early intervention of mental health in young Australians.
Watts was himself an active AFL player between 2004 and 2006, and experienced the Reach Foundation first-hand as a teenager through their Heroes Day event.
According to Watts, his focus now is to realise long-term and effective solutions to the youth mental health crisis currently taking place in Australia, through a proactive and preventative approach.
Watts said: “Rather than waiting for mental ill-health to manifest, we need to focus on the promotion and prevention of mental health in young people earlier on, by giving them the tools to navigate life’s challenges and thrive.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a new wave of concerns surrounding mental health in young people, with four out of five young Australians experiencing mental health issues over the past two years and one in four reporting suicidal thoughts.
Watts added: “While intervention, treatment and crisis measures are vital in addressing the needs of young people when they are already experiencing mental ill health, these are reactive and short-term solutions to this developing crisis.
“Right now is the time to learn from the past and as a society, recognise the only true way to set our young people up for life is to equip them with the social and emotional skills they need to live a complete life.”
Feature image source: YouTube/@SportingNewsAustralia
