Come and join us as we commemorate 50 years of Lifeline's innovation, connection and care.

Wesley Mission is holding a special service to give thanks for 'help as close as the phone' for people in crisis. It will be followed by celebratory refreshments and a chance to spend some time with other people who have contributed to Lifeline.

Please register above to let us know you are coming. You don't need to print or obtain a ticket - we just need numbers for seating and catering purposes.

Why are we celebrating?

In 1962, the late Rev Dr Sir Alan Walker, Superintendent of Wesley Mission (then known as the Central Methodist Mission), received a call from a distressed man who later took his own life. In a letter addressed to Alan, the man explained simply that he felt he was a failure and that nobody cared about him. Unwilling to lose another life this way, Alan began to plan a way to provide support to people in crisis.

It is now 50 years since the first call was taken at the Lifeline centre in Darlinghurst. Today, Lifeline is an international organisation that continues the work of crisis support to people through a variety of media. It would be no exaggeration to say that there are thousands of people alive today whose lives were changed, if not rescued, by a stranger who listened when they needed it most.