A grove of trees planted on Western Sydney University’s Parramatta South campus will remember those impacted by suicide.
Collaborating with Darkness Into Light Sydney, Western Sydney University is raising awareness for suicide prevention and mental health by planting five red flowering gums on the campus. Planted on Friday, March 25, the grove will provide a quiet space for remembrance and reflection
“Western Sydney University is committed to supporting and raising awareness for mental health, including through our support services for students and staff,” Deputy Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Leadership Professor Michelle Trudgett said.
“We’re proud to collaborate with Darkness Into Light Sydney on this special initiative, and we hope the grove will provide students, staff and visitors with a place to reflect.”
Darkness Into Light Sydney is an organisation raising funds for mental health charities across Australia, including Beyond Blue, Lifeline and Batyr, and has partnered with Western Sydney University ahead of its flagship annual walk on Saturday, May 7, in Bondi.
Darkness Into Light Sydney’s Niall Kelly said it was great to have such a supportive partner in Western Sydney University.
“We are really honoured to work in conjunction with Western Sydney University in bringing this message of support to the Parramatta campus and local community,” Mr Kelly said.
“The trees will be there forevermore and the memories of people affected by suicide will live on. For as long as those trees are there those people won’t be forgotten.”
Originally formed in 2009 in Dublin, Ireland, Darkness Into Light has since grown into a global movement, with about 200,000 people participating each year.
After last year’s lockdown forced the five km walk to go virtual, Mr Kelly said he is excited to see people come together in person for the event.
“We’ll be doing a walk at sunrise as we walk from darkness into light in support of all those affected by suicide,” he said.
“It’s a very isolating thing being impacted by suicide and gathering thousands of people together shows them that they’re not alone and that there is help out there. It just warms the heart.”
Register for Darkness Into Light at darknessintolight.ie.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.