This year marks WayAhead’s 85th birthday and back in May, we marked the milestone with an event to celebrate our work over the decades. We were very generously hosted by our WayAhead Workplaces Network member, King & Wood Mallesons, in their offices, complete with beautiful views of Sydney. A number of guests came to join the festivities, including colleagues from the mental health sector, former and current staff, WayAhead members and partners, as well as a caricaturist and a roving magician.
As one of the oldest mental health charities in the country, the organisation has a long and interesting history with a number of milestones. Under its previous names, WayAhead has served as incubators for what are now independent organisations, such as Mental Health Carers Australia (formerly ARAFMI) and Alzheimer’s Australia.
From its very first beginnings in 1932, as the NSW Council for Mental Hygiene, through 1956, when it became the NSW Association for Mental Health, to today, as WayAhead, the organisation has kept mental health promotion at its heart. Marking this anniversary is something we were proud to be able to celebrate and we look forward to supporting Australians with their mental health and wellbeing for many years to come.