Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation

20/10/2026

Last Friday, 400 people joined us at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for our first Breakthrough Mental Health Dinner in Melbourne.

Hosted by Hamish McLachlan, the evening brought people together to talk openly about mental health and help fund research.

Breakthrough CEO John Mannion spoke about the people behind the statistics. Research estimates that each person who dies by su***de is known by around 135 people, a reminder of how far a loss can reach across families, friendships, workplaces and communities.

Breakthrough Board Member and generous sponsor James Thredgold invited guests to take part in his Coffee Cup Pledge: give $6.50, the price of a coffee, to support mental health research.

You can take part too. Whether you were with us at the MCG or are watching from home, we’d love your support.

💜 Make your coffee cup pledge today - (see link in bio) or visit this link here
👉https://breakthroughfoundation.org.au/pay-a-coffee-forward-breakthrough-mental-health-dinner-2026/

Thank you to everyone who joined us, volunteered, donated and helped bring our first Melbourne dinner to life.

Event production: Perfect Events Group | Events + Visibility
🎥 Videography: Cinematic Events | Marketing Agency

19/10/2026

Eight teams, one iconic ground and $100,000 raised for cancer and mental health research. 🏏
The inaugural Biggest Backyard Cricket Bash brought our community to Adelaide Oval for a memorable day of T10 cricket, proudly supported by South Australian Cricket Association
Two finalist teams earned their moment on the centre wicket alongside SA cricket greats Cameron Borgas and Tom Plant, with - Turbans 4 Australia (T4A) taking home the inaugural trophy! 🏆
Thank you to every team, donor and supporter who made this result possible. Proceeds will be split between Cancer Council SA and Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation, helping fund research to improve the lives of South Australians.
A huge thank you to 7NEWS Adelaide and Andrew Hayes for sharing the story. Watch their coverage 🎥

19/10/2026

I am proud to have attended the Kokoda trek, on behalf of the Breakthrough team 💜. Kokoda reminded me how much resilience depends on the people beside us. The Kokoda Centurions brought that to life, creating connection and positive role models for men’s mental health throughout an extraordinary challenge. Thanks to the generosity of our trekkers and the wider community, that shared effort also raised funds for The Man Cave and Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation, to help strengthen support for men's mental health. I’m humbled to have been part of it.

Thank you to everyone who donated, encouraged us and made this opportunity possible. It remains one of my proudest personal achievements. I have smashed my fundraising goal, now at $11,859💥
👉Thank you for all your donations: https://lnkd.in/gGsMWErc

19/10/2026

15/10/2026

Generous support helps create lasting ripples.
Thank you to our Gold and Silver sponsors for supporting the Breakthrough Mental Health Dinner at the MCG on 16 October.

Your generosity helps us bring people together for honest conversations about mental health, while raising funds for research into su***de prevention and early intervention.

We’re grateful to have you alongside us.

Gold Sponsors:
Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
Hines Property
McMahon Services Australia Pty Ltd
James Thredgold Jeweller

Silver Sponsors:
Amorini Australia
Suzi Evans (Workbench for the mind)
Hettich Group
Long Contracting
Encore Event Technologies APAC
Grindal Legal
SW Accountants & Advisors
McLardy McShane
Perfect Events Australia
Intellihub
ALL Accor

One conversation can create ripples of lasting change.

13/10/2026

Eight days. Ninety-six kilometres. One unforgettable journey through the mud, mountains and magnificent jungle of the Kokoda Track. 🇵🇬

We walked through intense heat and humidity, sleepless nights and demanding climbs, carrying what we needed on our backs, but never walking alone.

Along the way, we paused to honour the Australian soldiers who fought and fell here, and reflected on the courage, sacrifice and mateship that carried them through. We were also so grateful to our extraordinary Papua New Guinean guides and porters, whose strength, care and generosity helped us every step of the way.

This trek was in support of better mental health outcomes for men. Every day in Australia, nine people die by su***de; seven are men. That is why creating safe spaces for honest conversation, vulnerability and connection matters.

For me, Kokoda was a rare chance to disconnect from the noise of everyday life and reconnect with people, through real stories, shared challenge and conversations that will stay with me.

Thank you to Kokoda Centurions, The Man Cave, Australian Kokoda Tours and our remarkable trek group, and everyone who donated and believed in this cause.

Together, we can help ensure more people know: you are not alone. 💜

13/10/2026

🏏 THAT’S A WRAP ON THE BIGGEST BACKYARD CRICKET BASH!

What. A. Day. 💜💛

On Sunday, teams from across South Australia took over Adelaide Oval for a huge day of T10 cricket, all while raising vital funds for Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation and Cancer Council SA

And what better way to finish than with our two finalists battling it out on Adelaide Oval’s legendary centre wicket! 🤩

🏆 A HUGE congratulations to Turbans 4 Australia (T4A), our inaugural Biggest Backyard Cricket Bash champions!

But this day was about so much more than cricket.

Every team who stepped onto the field also stepped up for mental health and cancer research, fundraising, rallying their communities and helping create real impact.

A special thank you to the SACA and Adelaide Oval for helping create such an incredible experience, Rewards Trophies for the stunning trophy, and Nu-Pure Beverages for keeping everyone hydrated throughout the day.

A massive thank you to every player, supporter, volunteer and partner who made the day what it was, and to our friends at Cancer Council SA for sharing this very special event with us. 💜💛

The final ball has been bowled, but the impact will go well beyond the boundary.

White Horse Finance Catapult Foundation carestack_australia Finesse Built Clinpath Pathology & Axium Nexus.

📸 Xcel Creative

11/10/2026

We’re underway at Adelaide Oval for our Biggest Backyard Cricket Bash! 🏏🙌

A day of cricket, community and a little friendly competition, raising funds for Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation and Cancer Council.

Let’s make it a big one! 💜

10/10/2026

This World Mental Health Day, Breakthrough, CEO, John Mannion reflects on why lived experience helps shape mental health research.

By bringing together people with lived experience, researchers, clinicians and our community, we can turn understanding into action and work towards better mental health for everyone.

01/10/2026

This Mental Health Month, we’re joining communities across Australia in recognising this year’s national theme: ‘Together We Thrive’.

👉At Breakthrough, everything we achieve is made possible by working together with clinicians, researchers, people with lived experience, ambassadors, donors, partners, volunteers, media and our wider community.
Each brings knowledge, experience, generosity and care to our shared purpose.

Through the research we fund, the connections we build and education we share with our community, we’re working towards our vision of a life free from mental illness.
Together We Thrive 💜