History of AKG

ALIVE and Kicking Goals! (AKG) began in 2008 as a youth suicide prevention initiative. Players from the Broome Saints Football Club formed a youth sub-committee with support from the Broome Mens Outreach Service. These young men undertook training in suicide prevention in order to become Peer Educators for the Kimberley region. AKG! created a safe space for healing which allowed these young men to come to terms with the ‘cycle of grief’ experienced in the region.

In 2010, the project secured Council of Australian Governments (COAG) funding to employ a team leader and three paid peer educators. The employment of a female peer educator has seen the project expand its scope to include young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in and around Broome. The project was evaluated by the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention in 2012 and is currently undertaking longitudinal research.

AKG Program timeline

2008	Initiated Broome Saints Football Club youth suicide prevention initiative with support from Broome Mens Outreach Service. Grass roots, community born, led and driven.
2010	Secured funding through WA Country Health Service (WACHS) to service the West Kimberley and roll out four Broome based paid positions: Team Leader, 2 Male Peer Educators, 1 Female Peer Educator
2014	Developed the Women’s Reference Group and the Life Promotion DVD resource: Partnership with BeyondBlue.
2016	Applied early intervention strategy: Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) holistic approach, and alcohol, tobacco & other drug use awareness.
2019	Developed the Life Promotion Program.
2021	Rio Tinto Partnership. Enabled AKG! to provide mentoring to new apprentices working on Rio Tinto mines. Assisted capacity to fund 0.5 Peer Mentor/Educator position.
2022	Partnership with Kimberley Community Alcohol and Other Drug Service (KCADS) and Kimberley Mental Health and Drug Service (KMHDS). Assisted capacity to fund two regional Peer Mentors/Educators.
2022	Development of MOSAC Youth Services. ALIVE & Kicking Goals! & Together We Ride (TWR Program; aimed at challenging youth crime and engaging reoffending youth)