Our Foundational Members
#WithUs since day one.
We’re run
by people
for people.
Our members play a crucial role in our formation and identity. We owe a lot to those who support us. We’re humbled that people have given so willingly to our mission. The selflessness of these few enable the greater support of the many. Down below you’ll find a list of our Foundational members. These are the people who helped us to evolve from a dream to a reality. We’re a member run organisation. Without the support of our members, we could not do what we do. Thank you for being you!
We’re always looking to meet new people and hear new stories. If you want to join our mission, help out on occasion, or just share a story, please, reach out to us!
Our Foundational Members
Bernadette Hanley
Member since September, 2022.Media Manager
Foundational Member
Whilst very aware of suicide and the impact it can have on people, I had thankfully never personally known anyone who had passed away. That was until 2022 when one of my son's closet friend, Kai, lost his life aged 19 1/2 .
Being a mother and seeing this group of young people, mostly young men, in so much pain from the loss of a mate made me think, 'how will they get through this?' Sometimes all we need is someone to Share the Burden with, to talk to someone else who is also going through the bereavement process.
There is no right or wrong way or timeline for a person to grieve. I became a member of this organisation in the hope of raising awareness of suicidality and to support those left behind.
Zac Buchanan
Member since September, 2022.General Member
Foundational Member
Being a part of Share the Burden to me is something I am grateful to involved in. By surrounding myself with so many selfless and caring individuals, who all have such drive to help create a real change in the area, has helped me focus my energy into doing something constructive and what I believe to be a lot of good. I joined Share the Burden in the hopes of raising awareness for this important cause and to help provide support where I can.
Seth Bartlem
Member since September, 2022.General Member
Foundational Member
For me, the conversation around mental health changed forever when we lost Kai. He was one of my biggest photography mentors and role models. After losing a soul who was so pure and genuine, it had never been clearer to me how important it is to talk about how you are coping with the challenges life throws at you.
Share the Burden has allowed me to contribute to evolving the conversation around mental health, promoting suicide bereavement support, and providing education on mental health support in our community.
Kane Robinson
Member since September, 2022.President
Foundational Member
Suicide, grief, and loss are topics that we all have varying levels of experiences with. The relationships we build with these concepts can bind us to our grief, or enable us to grow from our hardships. The concept of suicide had been a distant presence for most of my life, but over time we’ve come to know each other.
Not long after I graduated school, I lost a friend to suicide. We went to school together, and even though we weren’t close, the sudden loss hit me hard. I was inspired to see my school community band together out of support. We all kept in touch, and still periodically check in. That support changed that experience for me.
In 2021, I lost my cousin and friend Liam Weeks to suicide. This hit me even harder than my first experience. I had never felt like this before. I was surrounded by my family and my friends and again, I was inspired by the way people came together to support each other.
12 months later I lost someone who I loved like a younger brother. Kai Ogden took his life in July of 2022. This feeling of helplessness, this feeling of grief, was so heavy a weight I wasn’t sure how I could possibly carry it.
Navigating these experiences were lessons I had hoped I never need learn. The time after Kai died blurred together and one of the only things that really kept me tied down was the unwavering support of my friends and family.
What seems like mere words, were the pillars of strength that held me up in my times of loss and darkness. I was so inspired by the strength and support I had been shown time and time again, I wanted to share this power with the world.
Share the Burden is the organisation that we all have built together. It was built on the same pillars of love, trust, and support that carried each of us in our times of darkness. This is what we want to share with you. Everybody is walking a unique path, but here, we don’t walk alone. Share the Burden offers a sense of belonging, of community, and of hope. Please, #SharetheBurden with us, so we can all walk together.
Emma Johansen
Member since September, 2022.Secretary
Foundational Member
My first experience losing a friend to suicide completely changed my perception of the world around me. On a seemingly normal afternoon in March of 2017, my Dad sat my siblings and I down in the living room and explained to us that our friend, Trey, had ended his life. I remember the huge amalgamation of emotions that came after hearing that. Shock, disbelief, anger, sorrow, confusion, and an overwhelming sense of hopelessness among them.
The loss of Trey was so unexpected and sudden that it made me aware of just how many people hide their pain. This organisation is significant to me because at our core we hope to encourage others to share their burdens. I believe that cultivating a network of community support will go a long way in evolving conversations about mental health and grief.
In July 2022, we lost Kai to suicide. Kai has built a legacy of love and light that continues to bring people together. I hope to carry the wonderful impact Kai has had on me for the rest of my life and to share the joy he inspired in me with others. Having people around me that I could cry with, laugh with and cherish the memory of such extraordinary friends continues to help me cope in ways unimaginable. This sense of community and understanding is what I hope to inspire through Share the Burden.
Rachelle
Van der Loos
Member since September, 2022Vice-President
Foundational Member
What was once an area of interest, suicide prevention and postvention support, is now not only an interest but a passion. Experiencing the loss of both my son, Kai (19 years) and brother, Clinton (48 years) within 10 days of each other to suicide, I’m committed to not letting their lives be in vain.
Share the Burden has allowed me to channel my grief into helping others who have faced similar experiences. With a focus on upskilling our community in becoming more vulnerable to share their burdens whilst using the power of connection to support those bereaved by suicide, we aim to make a difference in our community.
Wayne Gardner
Member since September, 2022.General Member
Foundational Member
Share the Burden for me, is the result of an event which has changed my feelings regarding suicide. Previously, it hadn't been a personal experience for me. Now it has entered my space, and in some ways, I'm still trying to get my head around it.
The loss of Kai was totally unexpected; it has indelibly stamped on my psyche the saying, "You never know what someone else is going through". If Share the Burden can capture the attention of one person, in their darkest moments, and show them they aren't alone; that there are services available to help support them through that darkness, then for me, it will have fulfilled its mission.
Joshua Peagam
Member since September, 2022.General Member
Foundational Member
I never once thought that suicide would strike so close, no one ever does. The loss of Kai broke all our hearts, he was a best mate, a brother and a son. No one thought it would ever happen, but it’s safe to say the sorrow and guilt we all experience feels endless.
To see such a heartbreaking event affect such a close group of friends and family; the bereavement never stops. This tragic event has brought us together to carry on Kai’s legacy. Share the Burden is a not-for-profit charity to raise awareness for suicide bereavement and mental health awareness. Please don’t be afraid to share your burden as well.
Lochlan Robinson
Member since September, 2022.General Member
Foundational Member
For me, Share the Burden provides me with a way to give back to my local community. In my experience, I have found the postvention support community is slightly fragmented and I believe Share the Burden can assist in centralisation of this community.
Someone told me once, “By letting your own light shine, you subconsciously give permission for others to do the same”. By being ourselves, we let other people know that it is okay to express themselves, feel sad, and try new things. My goal is for all people to realise this, and being a part of Share the Burden is a fantastic way to do this.
Ella
Armstrong-Hall
Member since September, 2022.General Member
Foundational Member
When we lost our best mate Kai, it felt like the world around us shattered. Personally, I had never experienced such immense heartbreak. To see it on a large-scale and to affect so many of my close friends; I truly wished no one ever had to experience that again.
Share the Burden has not only been an outlet to process our shared traumas, but an effort to prevent these catastrophic events in our communities as much as we can.
Being able to share your burden means you’ll never be alone, whether you’re struggling with your own mental health, caring for a loved one or getting through the grief of losing someone special, we’ve got your back. Don’t ever be afraid to share your burden; sharing it makes your weight lighter, and that’s what we’re here for.
Ella-Maree Robinson
I’ve always been aware of suicide but its only recently I fully experienced this feeling. In 2021 our cousin Liam had died by suicide; not long after that, in July 2022, one of my brothers’ closest friends, Kai who was considered family had died by suicide as well. An unexpected death which has shocked us all and I think to some degree, a year later we are all still in shock.
Watching everyone around me and seeing the impact this event had on people made a light click in my head and I thought, ‘I want to help these people, but I just don’t know how’. Sometimes all we need is a friend, someone to listen to us, someone to help us share our burdens. As an organisation, we understand that there is no right or wrong time to grieve and no right or wrong way to grieve.
I joined this organisation to help raise awareness of suicidality and to help support those who are left behind. Even if we only reach one person in their darkest hours, it’s all worth it.
General Member
Foundational Member
Member since September, 2022.
Reece Byrne
Member since September, 2022.General Member
Foundational Member
Throughout my life, I always heard about how devastating suicide was to a community and how much it can impact people. I never truly understood how widespread this catastrophe is until my best friend Kai took his own life.
It made all the statistics and numbers I had always heard become real. Seeing the damage this had on not only myself, but Kai’s friends and family as well, made some of us realise we need to do something to ease this burden in our community. Share the Burden is our effort to reach out to the community and say, “you’re not alone in this”.
Mame Du Bois
Member since September, 2022.Treasurer
Foundational Member
Knowing that your most favourite human in the world was in so much pain that he thought the only answer was to take his own life is indescribable. His absence is immense. Knowing he is no longer here, and will never walk through my door and with his cheeky grin say ‘Let’s take some photos!’ still takes the air out of my lungs over a year later.
Kai was like no other, and while unique, I know his pain wasn’t. How many other amazing humans will choose to take their life before we as a society, as a community, decide ‘enough is enough’. The stigma around suicide is palpable, and this needs to change. We need to teach our children that asking for help, and seeking help is an essential life skill.
Thinking globally and acting locally, Share the Burden is a way of trying to reach anyone who is trying to find their way in the world and are hurting, and who in their darkest moments are contemplating removing themselves from this earth. Life is short enough already without making it shorter than it already is. Your life is a gift and we would be so much poorer for your absence.
Grace Scott
Member since September, 2022.General Member
Foundational Member
In July 2022 my brother lost one of his closest friends to suicide. Not only is Kai a good friend he is like a brother to me, and to many other people; he is like a son to my Mum. I miss him and sense the loss each day. Share the Burden has given me the opportunity to connect with others dealing with this loss. We aim to help the community find a place they can share their burdens too.
Lachlan Winter
Member since September, 2022.General Member
Foundational Member
After losing one of my closest mates last year to suicide I felt lost, sad, confused, angry. I just didn't know what to do. I was fortunate enough though to have a group of mates that were all feeling the same pain I was, and together we could share the burden.
Sadly, not everyone has access to such a support network they can share their burden’s with; that's why we have started this organisation. Our goal is to support and to educate as many people as we can.
Sonya Gardner
Member since September, 2022.General Member
Foundational Member
For me, Share the Burden is a tool to give others a voice and a safe space to share. It’s a freely available avenue of support without judgement or criticism filled with love, compassion and empathy.
Collectively united by the grief and absolute devastation of suicide, STB attempts to continually identify roadblocks to accessing mental health. Through this, we hope to facilitate changes and development to improve education and available services and support. I truly believe helping someone who reaches out in their time of need is a gift in itself!
In my mind, Share the Burden was created in loving, cherished memory of Kai. For all the Kai’s out there. For the Kai in all of us.