Hear from Marissa on why she has chosen the Kids Helpline
"I am delighted to announce that Kids Helpline will be the President’s Charity Partner this Year.
Wellbeing and resilience is a key focus of mine for 2025 both for the profession but also for the community and families.
The Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free confidential 24/7 online and phone counselling service providing support to young people on anything from friendship and family issues, sex and relationships to dealing with bullying, mental health, anxiety and depression.
Last year my child was subject to intense bullying at their school. Whilst they would share some of it with me, much was kept bottled up until they hit breaking point and spiralled into a depressive state. During that time, I was remaining ever vigilant, and as all parents do from time to time, kept a close eye on devices, where I discovered that my own child had found and been utilising the online services of the Kids Helpline.
We spoke about how helpful it had been in navigating issues that they did not feel comfortable or felt ashamed talking to me about and in supporting them through thoughts in the middle of the night when I was asleep.
I am indebted to the organisation for helping my child through some dark days, as it does with children every day. My child was happy to share this story as we both hope it will create greater awareness of the services available (including resources for us as parents and family members who are trying to support a young person) and help people realise that they are not alone and it is ok to seek support.
The Kids Helpline receives a contact every 90 seconds, and at least 15 contacts a day is from a child who is in immediate harm or danger. As the President’s Charity Partner for 2025, I look forward to supporting the Kids Helpline in raising valuable funds to continue and expands its services to ensure that no call is ever missed.
The Society will be hosting fundraisers for the Kids Helpline during the year together with getting involved in initiatives of the organisation. Stay tuned for information about these events.
Find out more about donating to the Kids Helpline and the work they do."
Marissa Mackie, 2025 Law Society President
About Kids Helpline
Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free, private, and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling service for children and young people aged 5-25.
Since 1991, Kids Helpline has responded to over 8.8 million contacts from children and young people and provided tens of millions of self-help interactions via its website, social media channels, and apps. For some young people, connecting with Kids Helpline has been a life-saving experience, while for others it’s about practical help and emotional support at the critical moment they need someone to listen.
If children and young people want to talk to someone, they can contact Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800 or use WebChat. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
To support the Kids Helpline services and programs, financial donations can be made online here.
For further information about the charity partnership and how you or your firm can get involved, please contact Michelle King via
michelle.king@lawsocietysa.asn.au.