Kiteboard for Life Australia visits the team at LIP

A safe team is a healthy team and the Safe Start sessions held earlier this year highlighted the need for all members of our workforce prioritise their safety, including their physical and mental health, at work and at home.

Nik Shepheard, Kiteboard for Life Australia Founder and Director, recently visited our team at Long Island Point to share his experience of living with depression and some of his coping mechanisms.

“Depression and anxiety can affect any body, at any age, and it is estimated over 45% of Australians will experience a mental illness at some stage of their life,” said Nik.

“There are many triggers that can induce depression, but also many ways to recover and stay well day-to-day.”

Established in 2014, Kiteboard for Life Australia aims to increase awareness of depression and suicide. 

“The message we want to share is that depression does not discriminate. We want to help break the stigma, and encourage those suffering to speak out and seek help,” he continued. 

To promote Kiteboard for Life Australia’s cause and raise money for those in need, Nik is preparing to circumnavigate Australia on his kiteboard, stopping along the way to discuss mental health with the communities he passes through. To assist Nik’s journey, Esso Australia has donated laptops which will be used to assist in the logistics of the trip. 

“Nik provided our team with insightful tips on how they can look after themselves and prioritise their mental health,” said David McCord, Long Island Point Manager.

“Working safely is our number one goal and being healthy, both mentally and physically, supports us to achieve that.

“In addition to holding events like this where we take time out to focus on supporting each other and learning tips on how to stay mentally fit, we also provide an Employee Assistance Program which is a great resource for any employee who is seeking support or wants to improve their mental health,” Dave noted.