About

Letters of Hope was founded in 2018, and aims to spread kindness, raise awareness and break the stigma around mental health through sending handwritten letters to those who are going through a tough time.
Through sending these letters, Letters of Hope shares helpful coping strategies, words of empowerment and connects those who are struggling with the support that could turn things around.
We truly believe in the importance of social connection, kindness and compassion as protective factors when it comes to mental health and wellbeing.
Our 2023 Impact

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

“Breaking the mental health stigma, one letter at a time.”

Our mission is to break the mental health stigma, one letter at a time, by:

Uplifting those who are going through a tough time with their mental health and are feeling isolated by trying to show them that there is good in the world
Connecting our letter recipients to helpful tools, resources and support in an effort to encourage help-seeking behaviours
Encouraging the public to foster social connection in their communities, and be kind to strangers, by reminding them that everyone is going through their own battle and we never know what is going on beneath the surface
Empowering people to speak up and share their own mental health stories in an effort to build mental health awareness within the community
Helping to promote help-seeking and early intervention through building community mental health awareness and education around vital protective factors including: social connection, kindness and compassion.

As seen on

Request a letter

If you are struggling with your mental health, going through a tough time, or simply need a pick-me-up, please request a handwritten letter by filling out our contact form below.

Letters of Hope provides encouragement and kindness through handwritten letters, but we are not a crisis support or professional mental health service. If you are in distress or need immediate support, please reach out to a professional service.

Support in Australia:

Lifeline – 13 11 14 (www.lifeline.org.au)
Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636 (www.beyondblue.org.au)
Suicide Callback Service – 1300 659 467 (www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au)

🌍 Outside Australia? Find crisis support in your country at https://findahelpline.com/.

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Meet Our Board

The Board

Abbie Williams

Abbie is the CEO & Founder of Letters of Hope.

Abbie founded Letters of Hope in 2018, inspired by her love for sending and receiving letters and her own personal mental health journey.

Abbie delivers workplace mental health services to generate funding for Letters of Hope, and her work has benefited a number of high-risk sectors.

A staunch mental health advocate, she is an Ambassador for the Australian & New Zealand Mental Health Association, a Mental Health First Aid Instructor, and has featured in major Australian media outlets like Sunrise, ABC News, 7News, and HRD Magazine. Abbie was the finalist across 2 categories in the 2024 7News Young Achiever Awards.

Sarah Liddle

Sarah Liddle (she/her) is a mental health professional and lived experience leader passionate about championing and delivering initiatives that embed well-being practices and improvement in organisational operations and communities.

She has a Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Science (Psychology), and Masters of Applied Positive Psychology. Sarah resides in the Yuin Nation on Walbanga Country.

Sarah enjoys yoga, reading, and spending time outdoors in her spare time.

Julie Gillespie

Julie Gillespie is a passionate advocate for mental health in the workplace, leveraging her 25+ years of experience in operations and leadership to create positive change. As a Cosmetic Formulations Chemist, Facilitator, Speaker, and Licensed Principal Master Instructor for Mental Health First Aid Australia, Julie brings a unique blend of scientific expertise and lived experience with mental health challenges.

Driven by her commitment to building mentally healthy workplaces, Julie equips leaders with practical tools and strategies to cultivate compassion, resilience, and well-being within their teams. Her ability to translate complex concepts into actionable methodologies empowers individuals and nurtures a culture of open communication.

Inspired by the life-changing stories of those she has helped, Julie is dedicated to breaking down language barriers and redefining how we approach crucial conversations about mental health. With a focus on strategic connections and a commitment to disrupting the narrative, Julie's expertise inspires transformative change and shows leaders how to create thriving workplaces.

Simon Tufrey

Gold Coast-based Simon Tufrey is a respected Human Resources leader, known for his innovative strategies and transformative leadership. He is Director & Principal Consultant of an advisory practice focused on strategic advisory, leadership development and professional coaching.

His approach has led to genuine transformation and measurable impact in a number of people and culture leadership roles with both a national and Asia-Pacific reach. He has garnered diverse experiences across development & construction, hospitality, insurance and technology sectors. He's mentored a significant number high-potential individuals, receiving industry recognition as an Excellence Awardee at the 2020 Australian HR Awards.

Simon's involvement extends to mentoring programs and advisory boards, showcasing his dedication to talent development and strategic growth.

Currently pursuing an MBA, he's a Certified Gallup Strengths Coach and a sought-after speaker at industry conferences.

With a Bachelor of Laws, he brings a unique perspective to handling legal and compliance matters for clients. Described as selfless and future-oriented, Simon's dedication extends to his role as a father of two, driving his desire to leave a lasting impact.

Nathan Spruce

Nathan is the General Manager Employment, Training and Innovation at IMPACT Community Services in Bundaberg; an organisation dedicated to creating opportunity and improving lives.

Nathan has over 25 years’ experience creating and implementing employment and training initiatives in different countries as well as tender writing across multiple industries.

What drives Nathan is a passion to create change within his community and the NFP and Social Enterprise sectors through trying innovative approaches to new and old problems. Nathan is a dad, partner, creator, puzzler, challenger, friend and a dreamer.

Katrina Reid

Katrina Reid is an Associate Director in the Strategy and Transactions team at EY. She works with government clients on international development projects in Southeast Asia, providing advice on stakeholder engagement and establishing partnerships. Katrina was previously Director of the International Education and Training Unit at Trade and Investment Queensland, and Head of Partnerships and Trade at Study Gold Coast.

In both roles, Katrina supported implementation of strategy and initiatives to grow and support the international student community. Her career establishing international partnerships started at the Australia-Indonesia Centre connecting members of Australia and Indonesia’s academic community through research projects.

Katrina holds a Masters of Tertiary Education Management from the University of Melbourne, and undergraduate degrees in Commerce and Asia Pacific Studies (Indonesian). She is a proud Canberran and enjoys painting (trying to!) with watercolour in her spare time.

Simone Davison

Simone has over 20 years' experience as a strategic marketer, building and positioning brands for growth. She has held senior leadership and strategy roles for several leading companies across a variety of industries, previously working at Suncorp Bank and Canstar.

Simone has also held volunteer and advisory roles within a number of not-for-profit groups and charities, managing strategic partnerships and overseeing fundraising. A passionate mental health advocate, Simone is dedicated to reducing the stigma around mental illness and driving change in the community.

She has extensive lived experience in mental illness and is a Mental Health First Aider. Simone currently holds the position of Head of Digital Marketing at the Entertainment Group.

Our amazing volunteers

Volunteers

Chris Savvy

In Chris' words: "I've been there. I hit "Rock bottom".....and I managed to climb back out too! so I have a very good idea of what it feels like to be in that space. It can be a scary and confusing time, but a powerful "tool" to use against poor mental health is the power of human connection. A letter is a fantastic way to connect people and also the knowledge that another person wrote that letter with you in mind. Peer-to-peer support is awesome and can help you on your recovery journey."

Chris is passionate, a mentor and a leader. He is passionate about helping people struggling with their mental health get on the road of recovery using the power of lived experience and peer-to-peer support.His favourite things are: gaming, hiking, his motorbike, and his dog..."Spike".

Carly Gladwell

Carly thinks the world needs more love less hate and division. The more connected we are the less we seem to be. If a letter can save a life, then she is all for it.

Carly is generous, caring and earthy, and is passionate about gardening, cooking and learning.

Her favourite things are the ocean, the mountains, animals and the garden.

Sam Markwell

Sam would like the opportunity to give back and provide hope for those that may need it in a time of need.

Sam is compassionate, kind and willing, and she’s passionate about being a better person, animal welfare and finding ways to make this world a better place for those in it.

Sam’s favourite things are being with her animals, being at home with her husband, reading, and getting crafty.

Jessica Clark

Jessica wants to spread joy and make a difference.

Jessica is happy, positive, encouraging and is passionate about life and love.

Her favourite things are writing, reading and laughing.

Sara Faghihi

Sara wants to make a positive impact on the lives of others who may be experiencing challenging times. She wants to offer support, encouragement, and hope through heartfelt letters.

Sara is passionate , adventurous and ambitious. She is most passionate about family, health and fitness, and animals.

Sara’s favourite things are sports, traveling, photography and branching out of her comfort zone.

Tiarne Murphy

Tiarne wants to bring joy, happiness and positivity to a stranger as she thinks its the best kind of giving.

Tiarne is positive, motivated and passionate about family, friends, and bringing love & hope to people.

Tiarne’s favourite things are stickers, journalling, chocolate, reading and watching a good tv series.

Barbara Giuliani

Barbara has loved writing all her life. She has time and motivation to put some sunshine into the lives of others and knows that a few words can make a real difference to a day.

Barbara is observant, thoughtful and enthusiastic, and she is passionate about art, music and literature

Her favourite things are pets, food, knitting, patchwork and family history.

Kate Kleeman

Kate loves writing handwritten letters and has been doing this with pen pals for years. Kate also has an interest in mental health and wellbeing, particularly supporting those who are over the age of 65.

Kate is caring, compassionate, quiet, and she is passionate about Aged Care, supporting anybody of any age who is less fortunate than her, animals and travelling.

Kate’s favourite things are walking (and she walks her dog every day), she likes to spend time doing activities such as painting, diamond art, reading, watching F1 and eating chocolate in some form every day.

Erin Heels

Erin hopes that by sending letters to others that are struggling, she can help ease their minds a little bit.

Erin is compassionate, empathetic and kind , and she is passionate about her family, spreading joy and making people laugh.

Erin’s favourite things are crochet, knitting and paper crafts.

Julia Anderson

Julia loves the idea of connecting through letter writing and spreading positivity and hope to those who are struggling. She has loved ones who struggle and knows how important connection and understanding can be during hard times.

Julia loves to write and is passionate about mental health advocacy/awareness, reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, and creative writing.

She is compassionate, driven and creative, and her favourite things are: reading, writing, chocolate, live music, and spending time with friends and family.

Rachel Beddows

Rachel wanted to help people with the power of words. She believes that a good deed goes a long way and to know she could help spread a little joy in this world would be a great satisfaction. Too many people are struggling and Rachel is fully on board with what Letters of Hope are doing to help.

Rachel is kind, caring and thoughtful. She is passionate about helping people, and her favourite things are: yoga, walking, dogs, animals, family, adventure, nature, reading.

Belle Cort

Belle loves handwriting cards and letters. It brings a lot of joy to create something with love that will be sent to someone who needs it. Belle knows that it feels good to know that you aren't alone!

Belle is optimistic, quirky, and friendly, and enjoys long walks in nature, reading, and crafting.