Meet our community partners: Joe from A Night in the Doghouse

I am Joe, one of the organisers of A Night in the Doghouse. The idea for the event was started in 2018 by a good friend of mine Peter Schmidt and his older brother Patrick when they saw a seminar discussing the drastic effect burnout is having on mental health. As a university student and young lawyer respectively, they decided to create the event to de-stigmatise the issue amongst their age groups and raise funds for an incredible organisation.

A Night in the Doghouse runs exclusively to raise funds for the Black Dog Institute and share awareness amongst the attendees about the symptoms and treatments for mental illnesses. The Black Dog Institute are pioneers of research into the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses across the entire lifespan. I have been involved since it’s beginnings in 2018, and after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, we are very happy to bring the event back this year.

A Night in the Doghouse is a charity ball run annually and based in Brisbane. It has two missions, the first is to raise funds for the incredible work performed by the Black Dog Institute, and the second is to foster conversation about mental illness amongst young people and direct attendees to the fantastic educational resources provided by the Black Dog Institute and other groups, so we build a mentally healthier Australia.

loans.com.au are supporters of A Night in the Doghouse, as naming sponsor for the event. This ensures the event meets its two missions and allows us to spread us much awareness about the cause as possible amongst an age cohort that is so heavily affected.

Support from loans.com.au is key to the event raising the funds we seek to for the Black Dog Institute, and we are incredibly grateful for their support.

Donating to the Black Dog Institute will make a drastic difference to those who need assistance most. As it currently stands, 1 in every 5 Australians will experience symptoms of mental illness in any given year, and the most concerning part is that 65% of those who experience symptoms of mental illness do not seek treatment. The funds donated to the Black Dog Institute allow them to help bridge this gap by providing funding for research projects as well as clinical resources and education materials for those who need them. The reality is that someone you know, or even yourself, may be experiencing symptoms of mental illness, and if we can help people seek assistance by opening a dialogue about the issue, then we owe it to our community to play our part in reducing the prevalence of these illnesses.

The average age of the event’s attendees is mid to late 20’s but the event is open to people of all ages. The event’s core principle is simple: a fun time with great people and good music, all for a good cause. We are so grateful for the support the event has been able to garner in such a short period and it is a testament to the cause and the great work the Black Dog Institute do. For those that wish to donate to the Black Dog Institute, you can do this through the Black Dog Institute’s website by clicking the donate button and searching for the A Night in the Doghouse fundraiser.