In December 2025, Beacon Strategies partnered with Strategic Indigenous Solutions to convene Session 2 of the First Nations Collaborative in Cairns. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders, Elders, practitioners, and sector partners from Cairns, Cape York, and the Torres Strait came together to share lived experience and collective insights on strengthening suicide prevention and life promotion across the region.

December marked a purposeful close to the year across Life Promotion and Suicide Prevention FNQ, with collaboration, connection and collective thinking continuing right through to the final weeks. From referral design and workforce training to place-based forums and First Nations collaboration, partners across Cairns and Hinterland, Torres and Cape remained deeply engaged.

As we move into 2026, this update reflects on what was achieved in December, looks ahead to the next six months, and acknowledges the strong alignment between this work and the Joint Regional Wellbeing Plan — reinforcing the value of partnership, early support, and community-led approaches across the region.

Life Promotion and Suicide Prevention FNQ’s December 2025 Newsletter highlights a month of community-led action across Far North Queensland. November saw in-person and online conversations unpacking the National Suicide Prevention Strategy, with insights on empathy, community responsibility, and the Strategy as a roadmap for change. A referral workshop explored what makes referrals meaningful and effective. The First Nations Collaborative advanced regional priorities through stakeholder mapping and collective advocacy, while new Lived Experience Critical Shifts conversations prepare to launch in early 2026. Beacon Strategies also introduced the Network of Community Engagement Points (NetCEP) to strengthen compassionate responses to distress across the Tablelands and Mareeba. Plus, join us for our end-of-year Coffee and Conversations gathering in Cairns.

Last week, Life Promotion and Suicide Prevention FNQ brought together 27 people from across Far North Queensland to explore the National Suicide Prevention Strategy and what it means for our communities. The session sparked rich, generous conversations about how the Strategy can guide our work — not just as a document, but as a living framework shaped through practice, connection, and shared responsibility.

Communities across Far North Queensland are driving meaningful change in suicide prevention and life promotion. In October, Beacon Strategies and partners strengthened connections through First Nations collaboration, community development training, and lived experience initiatives that amplify local voices. As we move into November, focus turns to the National Suicide Prevention Strategy — translating it into practical, place-based action that builds hope, connection, and collective wellbeing across the region.

First Nations Collaborative Guest Blog — Walking Together for Change highlights how Strategic Indigenous Solutions (SIS) and Life Promotion and Suicide Prevention FNQ are working together to strengthen community-led approaches to suicide prevention across Far North Queensland. Facilitated by SIS, the October First Nations Collaborative brought together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders, service providers, and lived-experience advocates to co-design culturally grounded solutions that promote life, connection, and collective impact.

Read how this partnership — supported by the Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) — is helping shape a movement for change through self-determination, cultural safety, and community collaboration.

We are delighted to be hosting a critical conversation at the Queensland Community Development Conference in Port Douglas this October.

What if changing the narrative meant shifting from seeing suicide only as an individual problem to understanding it as a collective responsibility? Where communities, services, governments, and ourselves hold a role in creating environments that foster safety, belonging, and hope.

When it comes to suicide prevention, the way we work together matters. Community Development offers a powerful shift, from “I” to “we” — from linear to circular ways of working and connecting.

When it comes to creating lasting change in our communities, one thing is becoming clear: working for communities isn’t enough. We need to work with them. That’s the heart of Participatory Community Development.

A recap of our busy end to 2024! Trips to connect with communities, workshops and celebrations.

With a growing awareness nationally and internationally on suicide prevention strategies, we decided to host a symposium on the theme ‘Changing the Narrative’.

We had a very busy World Suicide Prevention Day. Check out a few of the events we held and attended for WSPD in September!

Collaborative member Anthony Satrick penned this blog after facilitating a First Nations Collaborative workshop in early July where we discussed First Nations children in out-of-home care.

The Five by Five Collaborative featured five presentations covering five topics relating to life promotion and suicide prevention. It aimed to facilitate information sharing and foster engaging discussions. 

Gill Townsend, Manager (Suicide Prevention) went to the National Suicide Prevention Conference looking for inspiration and ideas to feed into our work for the Life Promotion and Suicide Prevention FNQ Collaborative where our recent focus has been on systems, racism, education, stigma and language, access and family and domestic violence.

Life Promotion FNQ member Steph shares her learnings from the 25th Annual Suicide Prevention Conference held in Adelaide earlier this month.

A guest blog from our Collaborative member Trevor Philpot who joined us at the National Suicide Prevention Conference 2024.

These last few months, we have had more wonderful connections and conversations with other like-minded people interested in building strong healthy communities and exploring new narratives about suicide and suicide prevention.

Queensland Mental Health Commissioner Ivan Frkovic, entrepreneurial social change leader Jesse Martin and award-winning Town Planner Nikki Huddy joined 40 collaborative members from across the region bringing their ideas to this event.