Black Dog Ride’s Top End mental health campaign will have riders starting from across the country and see them travel north.

Covering over 4000km, the Black Dog Riders will converge en masse in Katherine before riding to Darwin. 

The last leg will highlight the power of community conversations in mental health awareness.

The riders will visit hundreds of communities to talk about mental health and suicide prevention. 

The ride began in 2009 as a way to raise awareness of depression and has evolved into a national health promotion charity involving thousands of Australians with lived experience of mental illness and suicidal ideation. 

​Funds raised over the ride will be used to benefit grass roots community mental health projects throughout Australia.

So far, Black Dog Ride has raised more than $2.5m for mental health and suicide prevention programs nationwide, including Lifeline Australia’s Crisis Support Chat service, Men’s Sheds, training 1000 youth in teen Mental Health First Aid, Samaritans Crisis Support Service, and local Headspace centres.

The riders are expected to arrive in Katherine on Friday August 17. 

People experiencing mental illness are encouraged to reach out to friends and family for support and seek assistance from medical practitioners. 

Or call Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14 for 24 hour crisis support.