Speakers Nick & Angela Farr-Jones

We were delighted to welcome Angela and Nick Farr-Jones to our club this week to speak about their charity, Stand Tall which works to ensure the mental well-being of our youth for their future. 

Angela reported on the results of participation from the Stand Tall Sydney 2021 live event, online event and Livestream replay. Over 5,200 secondary students from 52 government and independent high schools across Greater Sydney and Regional areas attended the live spectacular. 

Over 100,000 students from 504 schools across Australia either tuned in for the live-streamed version on the day of the event or watched a recording in the months following - an incredible 90% increase in schools from last year's online event.  

Diversity was a key element to this year's live and online event, where students of ranging abilities, from various cultural, religious and socio-economic backgrounds took part. These included special needs schools, such as StreetWork for homeless youth in NSW and Ohana College, which provides special assistance to students in Brisbane. 

The Stand Tall event was found in 2021 by Jeanine Treharne, Angela Farr-Jones ad Rosyln Hills in response to the tragic level of drug use, depression, bullying, hopelessness and self-harm among high school students. 

From humble beginnings in 2013 where 1,200 secondary students sat in a school hall to hear inspiring stories of hope from a diversity of speakers, the success of this first event triggered a new way of providing effective wellbeing lessons to secondary students. Stand Tall has now become the largest youth event of it’s kind in Australia, experiencing exponential growth over the last eight years.  

Working with educators, Stand Tall addresses national high school curriculum outcomes for PDHPE by gathering world class athletes, popular musicians, and inspirational speakers, who all share their life experiences in a relevant and relatable way to Australian teenagers. One massive day of positive input into a young Australian can change a life. 

Our Rotary Club is proud to support Stand Tall and we thank Nick and Angela for their time in updating the club on the most recent event. Here are

some links with more information about Stand Tall and positive impact it can have on young people. 

The impact of Stand Tall on students  

 
Stand Tall Sydney 2021 Student feedback  

 
Stand Tall Summer Camp  

 
Stand Tall Sydney 2021 Highlights video