IPG Mediabrands Australia has just exceeded its target of $100,000 in contributions for its 2018 fundraising drive to support the youth mental-health charity, batyr.

The fundraiser, launched on October 18 and coordinated by UnLtd, aimed to eclipse Mediabrands’ fundraiser for batyr last year which raised more than $70,000.

Led by Patrick Darcy, managing director of data, insights and technology business Cadreon, Mediabrands encouraged its 670+ people individually or in teams to raise money for batyr through creative ideas and inventive activities.

Some of the activities included full scale putt-putt golf courses, a team walking more than 21kms to cross seven bridges in Sydney, Bogan Bingo, a cycling marathon, full-scale video games and a large group willing to dye their hair batyr-blue for donations.

The day culminated with an auction of the Mediabrands’ Executive Leadership Team to spend a day with a business and offer their experience and expertise to the winning bidder, plus one full “batyr@work” program which supports the mental health and wellbeing of an organisation’s people.

Youth mental health is a major issue in Australia.

In any group of 30 students, seven will be experiencing a mental health challenge.

Of those seven, only two will reach out for support, leaving five suffering in silence.

IPG Mediabrands CEO Danny Bass said: “Youth mental health challenges are omnipresent in all levels of society and the workplace.

“Through Unltd we brought awareness of batyr’s work to our people and they responded with fundraising efforts which have been simply spectacular.

“I could not be more proud of what’s been achieved.”

batyr is a ‘for purpose’ organisation working to change these statistics.

Named after a talking elephant from Kazakhstan (ie, the elephant in the room), batyr provides a program that trains young people to safely and effectively speak about their own experience with mental ill health.

batyr takes these speakers into schools, universities and corporate arenas, running programs that start positive conversations around mental health to help smash the stigma and increase help-seeking behaviour.

batyr CEO Jon Davies said: “The fundraising efforts by Mediabrands this year have been incredible.

“I was blown away by the energy in the room, the support and enthusiasm from Mediabrands’ people and the leadership team after attending the event in Sydney.

“The $100k raised will enable us to run 30 batyr@school programs reaching 4500 young people, along with two ‘Being Herd’ workshops training 16 young people in how to share their story, helping to start positive conversations around mental health in their community.”

Chris Freel, CEO of UnLtd, said: “Mediabrands gets it – they are all in with batyr and view this as a crucial partnership for their business.

“The fundraising effort is phenomenal but so too is the ongoing work that they do for batyr, and on the flip side the positive benefits that batyr give back to them and their people, helping them smash the stigma around mental health.

“It’s a fantastic partnership.”