Helloworld Travel has joined forces with Ollie’s Echo, a Brisbane charity founded by Mia Bannister in memory of her son Oliver ‘Ollie’ Hughes, to help raise awareness about eating disorders among young people, particularly boys.
As Ollie’s Echo’s first Platinum Corporate Partner, Helloworld has committed $30,000 to its Pathways to Prevention program, which focuses on education and early intervention.
CEO Andrew Burnes AO said Helloworld was proud to support Bannister’s mission, describing it as “extraordinary” and closely aligned with the company’s values.
“Supporting Ollie’s Echo is deeply aligned with our values of compassion and community impact; we want to help create a future where young people feel supported, heard and empowered,” he said.
“We see this as a true partnership; it’s part of our commitment to mental health in the digital age. By helping Ollie’s Echo expand on the great work they are doing through school workshops, family programs and online resources, we aim to ensure that kids are supported before social media pressures take hold.
“We stand with Ollie’s Echo to help change the narrative around mental well-being, body image and the impact of digital life.”
Bannister said, “We had started building our ‘kindness kits’ to be shared with school children, but we didn’t know how we could scale the project to really make a difference. Saying that we are grateful for Helloworld Travel’s involvement, just does not go far enough.
“This support from Helloworld Travel will help us to do more work on a huge problem that’s growing before our eyes. It’s a pain that no young person should have to go through. With kindness and understanding we can make a difference.”
Burnes said Ollie’s Echo’s work “isn’t just inspiring – it is life-changing”.
“Helloworld Travel are proud to be able to amplify their message and ensure more families and young people have the support they need,” he remarked.
“We look forward to supporting Mia with this partnership as Ollie’s Echo continues to expand its reach and impact.”
Bannister has become a national advocate for responsible social media use among teens, even joining Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to announce YouTube’s inclusion in Australia’s age-restricted social media laws.
According to the National Eating Disorders Collaboration, around 30% of eating disorder sufferers are male, yet stigma often prevents them from seeking help – something both Helloworld and Ollie’s Echo hope to change.
