About UMatter

UMatter Awareness

Each day in Australia on average 9 Australians die to suicide, 200 attempt daily (approx 65,000 attempts per year) and each suicide will greatly effect at least 125 people from first responders, family and others.

Suicide is a very heavy topic to speak about and may traditionally have a stigma that it’s best not to talk about, but we at UMatterAwareness are compelled to gain every opportunity to shed more light. It’s ok not to be ok, and get help.

Source of advice and support

local Council
Suicide Prevention Networks
Politicians
Rose in the Ocean
Safe Space
Standby
Lifeline
Wesley Life Force
Government Agencies
Other Companies with a Mental Health background.

UMatterAwareness will always provide ongoing training and hold multiple training courses per year.

Vulnerable Groups We Support

There are groups of people more susceptible to mental health issues and suicide.

UMatterAwareness aims to gain greater awareness in :

Youth and young adults, (ages 15 – 24)
Veterans and Military Personnel
LGBTQ+ Community
Indigenous populations
Men (especially ages 25 – 54)
People in rural or remote areas
The Elderly
Survivors of Suicide Loss

Australia is losing 9 people a day on average to suicide, 65,000 attempts per year and every suicide affects at least 125 people.

Our Strategic Aim

As the lead intervention network for Maitland, UMatterAwareness acts as a vital bridge between the community and professional services. We aim to support and link service providers with community members facing:

Our Vision

To create a Hunter Region where “UMatter” is not just a slogan, but a lived reality— where seeking help is met with immediate peer connection and where no one has to face their darkest moments alone.

At its heart, UMatterAwareness is driven by a community of people connected to the Mendyks—through school days, sport, neighbourhood life, or simply through being close at heart—coming together with a shared purpose to make a difference.

Our Team

Vicki

Vicki Mendyk devoted her life to being a wife and mother, roles she fulfilled for almost 25 years of marriage and 24 years of raising her family.

Following the devastating experience of a double loss to suicide, her world and identity were profoundly changed.

In the years that followed, her resilience and determination led her to establish UMatterAwareness, turning personal tragedy into a mission to support others

Lyndsay

As Chairperson of UMatterAwareness, Lyndsay Walker brings over four decades of experience as a professional cricketer and coach. After navigating significant personal change, including divorce, he embarked on a journey to redefine his identity as a father of two.

His work supporting homelessness, assisting military veterans, and volunteering as a crisis phone operator ultimately led to a shared vision with Vicki — to establish a grassroots community peer support organisation.

Supporters & Partners

Remembering All Those Lost to Suicide

At UMatterAwareness, every name, every story, and every life matters. Each day in Australia, nine precious lives are lost to suicide, and thousands more carry the invisible weight of pain, grief, and stigma. Behind every statistic is a family, a friend, a colleague, a community forever changed.

Your donation helps us to:

Raise awareness and bring suicide out of the shadows.
Provide safe spaces and community-led support.
Deliver ongoing training in suicide prevention and mental health first aid.
Advocate with councils, networks, and governments to create lasting change.

When you give, you stand beside those who feel alone and help us remind them UMatter.

Every contribution, big or small, fuels our mission to prevent suicide and support those who have been touched by its impact. Together, we can save lives and honor those we have lost.

👉 Please consider making a donation today because one loss is too many.