The City Of Sydney has entered into an agreement with Beyond Blue to become the charity partner of Sydney New Year’s Eve (NYE) 2025 with an option to extend to NYE2026.
Beyond Blue is one of Australia’s most trusted & visited organisations, offering easily accessible & personalised mental health support for Australians to feel safe, connected and well earlier & to stay that way. In the 2024-2025 financial year, 276,000 people reached out to Beyond Blue. The feedback Beyond Blue receives demonstrated people felt less distressed, able to receive the information they had seeked & were allowed to feel that they were being heard and understood all resulting in them feeling more hopeful as well.
Beyond Blue will be given an online or face-to-face awareness raising campaign opportunity. Other benefits offered to Beyond Blue, subject to City Of Sydney approval, include:
- on-site activation support opportunity
- speaking opportunities
- fundraising opportunity
- activities associated with the online or face-to-face awareness raising campaign
- marketing material incorporation
- general media opportunities
- other partners’ opportunities leveraging
To support the work of Beyond Blue, Sydney NYE2025 may produce a paid activity which would be operated by Beyond Blue volunteers. All income would be paid directly to Beyond Blue.
It follows a 3-week expression of interest period between 10th of April and the 1st of May with applicants needing to meet the following criteria:
- no religious affiliation
- meet the definitions of charity & charitable purpose under the Charities Act 2013 (Commonwealth)
- official registered charity or public benevolent institution
- holds insurance reasonably required by the City of Sydney
- has an organisational focus that is compatible with City Of Sydney values & explain how this is important for Sydney New Year’s Eve
- demonstrated successful online or face-to-face fundraising experience
- undertakes work which produces significant community benefit
Beyond Blue met these criteria as they “focus on community & fostering positive, collaborative and inclusive environments, empowering people to proactively take charge and get the support they need”.
An evaluation panel of City Of Sydney Life staff recommended them to the City Of Sydney Community Services & Facilities Committee on the 16th of June, who also unanimously recommended them to the full Council on the 23rd of June, with the Council unanimously approving Beyond Blue the same day. By mid-July, the agreement was then signed between the City Of Sydney Chief Executive Officer (CEO) & Beyond Blue, formally allowing them to participate in Sydney NYE2025.
Beyond Blue will provide the City with a written report on activities & issue a joint press release with the City following the successful conclusion of Sydney NYE2025.
On June 23, the City Of Sydney Council also requested the City Of Sydney CEO to provide advice to the Council about ways that the Council could encourage local, small & medium-sized not-for-profit organisations to become Sydney NYE charity partners in the future & to report back via the CEO Update.
This announcement was made on August 20.
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