Lifeline is owned and operated by a network of affiliate member organizations across Australia, which are responsible for maintaining the Lifeline Centres. It was founded by Reverend Dr. Sir Alan Walker in 1963 and is a non-profit organization supported by various community and government partnerships.
Lifeline is a national crisis support service in Australia that operates through a network of affiliated organizations. These affiliate members are responsible for owning and managing the Lifeline Centres, which are staffed by trained volunteers and some paid personnel [1]. The organization was established in 1963 by Reverend Dr. Sir Alan Walker, who was motivated by a personal encounter with a man who later took his own life, aiming to prevent similar tragedies through accessible support services [2]. Lifeline functions as a non-profit entity, and its governance involves a board of directors, with the CEO overseeing operations [4]. Although Lifeline Australia is a national organization, it does not have a single owner; instead, it is a collective of independent affiliates working under the Lifeline brand and mission. The organization receives support from government grants, donations, and community partnerships, but it remains a non-profit entity dedicated to crisis support and mental health advocacy [2], [3], [4].