ERINDALE Vikings are in the process of building a “safe room” for the community that will provide 24 hour access to Lifeline Canberra. 

The rooms will be fitted across all four Vikings venues to help people deal with issues such as alcohol, gambling, domestic violence, grief, addiction, relationship breakdown, trauma and loneliness.

Lifeline and Vikings are working closely together to ensure the contents of the room are scientifically proven to benefit people in crisis.

Lifeline’s CEO Carrie Leeson says: “We believe that working closely with the Vikings Group will enable us to reach out to people in the early stages when issues arise and to ensure support is on-hand quickly.”

The room will provide direct phone access to Lifeline crisis support, Lifeline support packs and a fridge with cold non-alcoholic beverages.

“This room will be available to anyone in our community in crisis,” Ms Leeson says.

“One of the things that can put people in crisis off from phoning is not having access to a quiet space where they can speak freely without anyone hearing.”

Vikings Group CEO, Anthony Hill says: “We hope our partnership with Lifeline Canberra will broaden our approach to help the community not only play within their limits, but address wider mental health and wellbeing issues.”

The room is one of a number of initiatives to be implemented as part of Vikings and Lifeline Canberra’s Play Within Your Limits partnership, which offers mental health and wellbeing support to patrons, staff and the wider community.

Contact Lifeline via 13 11 14