The HALT founder hopes the response will build on the messages he shared in Ballarat this week, encouraging a whole of community response to tackling mental health issues and suicide.

HALT, which stands for Hope Assistance Local Tradies, is the Castlemaine-based organisation behind the popular Save Your Bacon Brekky or the partners of tradies event to strengthen links between tradies and their community mental health services. 

It operates on no state or government funding, instead relying on community support to sustain the model.

Mr Forbes has no idea how many people will watch his TED Talk but he knows the internationally renowned “ideas worth spreading” community is full of passionate individuals.

“If I reach 300,000 people and only 10 per cent of viewers decide to take some action, that’s still 30,000 people trying the HALT model in their communities,” Mr Forbes said. “The theme line of the TED talks was future legacy and mine is a whole of community approach to suicide. My aim was two-fold, it’s also a global call to action...hopefully people watching can share experiences and learn from each other.”

People asking questions was what satisfied Mr Forbes most in HALT’s free partners of tradies event in Ballarat on Wednesday night. 

Mr Forbes said it was great to have so many community welfare and support organisations at the Golden City Hotel for the event, but ultimately, the night was about the first step. He wanted to ensure people felt comfortable and safe to ask questions that could help their partners.

For example, how to discuss concerning alcohol use with your partner after 20 or 30 years. It also could be what do you do if your loved one is referred to a specialist but there is a six month-wait.

Building the bridge to such themes is what HALT aims to do in regional cities and towns, including interstate, but Mr Forbes said ultimately it was about helping communities look after themselves.

“People in places like Ballarat are more receptive to proactive, sustainable and feasible support. A lot of money goes into mental health funding – and that is important – but not enough in the grassroots,” Mr Forbes said. “Communities have got to be proactive.”

Master Builders Association Ballarat made a $1500 donation to HALT at the event and the money will go straight into a HALT program among the city’s TAFE students. Mr Forbes said it was important any money raised in a community, stays to help that community.

Mr Forbes’ TED Talk was filmed in a TED event partnering with Westpac Bank in Sydney in December.

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