This  Saturday, September 12, starting at 5.30am Lifeline will host its annual community remembrance walk in Kings Park. This year the event is called the Ros Worthington Community Walk in honour of the walk’s creator, who died in 2024. 

Lifeline WA chief executive Sarah Fordham said the event aims to shine a light on suicide prevention: “These are really powerful community events that make people feel not alone.”

The Federal Government’s 2025–2035 National Suicide Prevention Strategy outlines community connection as a key factor in facilitating suicide prevention.  

Ms Fordham said she hopes the walk can give people who’ve lost loved ones to suicide a chance to connect and remember the people they’ve lost. In 2024, 3326 Australians lost their lives to suicide, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

She said Lifeline wants people to know that they are there to help in times of crisis, to help keep people safe.  “There are 24/7 crisis helplines to help people in their darkest times when they might be thinking about suicide.”

According to Lifeline’s website they receive a call every 29 seconds.

This year, Ms Fordham will lead the walk with Ross Worthington’s son. Worthington created the walk after her husband died by suicide. 

“She created this walk to give herself and others comfort and connection and hope after such a tragic loss,” Ms Fordman said.

One of the first people to attend the walk was Ally Glenister.

Mrs Glenister, who has walked every year since the first event in 2016 said the walk is a beautiful opportunity for people to connect and remember those lost to suicide. Having lost her husband and nephew to suicide, she explained the walk has become transformative and a very special day for her and her two daughters. 

Mrs Glenister and her daughters will be doing their own versions of the walk in Italy this year.

She said the event was never designed to be a fundraiser and the purpose of the walk is for people to come together and show support for people who have lost a loved one to suicide.

Mrs Glenister recalled one of her favourite memories from a past walk when it began to rain. The Indigenous Elder who delivered the welcome to country told her, “The earth is crying with us.”

Lifeline also hosts a separate fundraiser called the Out of the Shadows Walk fundraiser, where participants walk to raise funds for Lifeline’s suicide prevention efforts.

If you are or a loved one are struggling with mental health, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.