Ollie’s Echo, founded in 2024 by Brisbane mum Mia Bannister in honour of her son Oliver ‘Ollie’ Hughes, has partnered with Helloworld Travel as their first Platinum Corporate Partner. Ollie took his own life at just 14 years of age after a battle with anorexia nervous fuelled by aggressive and demeaning commentary on social media.
The support of Helloworld Travel Limited as the first corporate partnership with Ollie’s Echo: Pathways to Prevention will accelerate the efforts of Ollie’s Echo to educate around the topic of eating disorders in young people, particularly boys.
Helloworld Travel Limited’s CEO and Managing Director, Andrew Burnes AO, learned of Ollie’s Echo’s work through the media and was quick to engage, establishing Helloworld Travel as the inaugural Platinum Corporate Partner with a $30,000 partnership commitment.
Andrew said, “We are proud to support Ollie’s Echo and the extraordinary work that Mia does in supporting young people and giving them a voice. 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.
“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.”
Mia said, “Andrew’s approach bought a tear to my eye but so much joy as well. 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.”
Andrew agreed, saying, “The work of Ollie’s Echo 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. We look forward to supporting Mia with this partnership as Ollie’s Echo continues to expand its reach and impact.”
Mia and Ollie’s Echo have been part of a national movement to manage the access to social media platforms by young people in the interests of their health and wellbeing.
Recently, Mia stood beside Prime Minister the Hon Anthony Albanese to announce YouTube’s inclusion in Australia’s world-leading age-restricted social media legislation.
Traditionally associated with girls, eating disorders are on the rise in boys and male adolescents, with data indicating 30 per cent of all sufferers are male.
A report[1] by the National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC) – an initiative of the Australian eating disorders sector funded by the Australian Government – noted “stigma and shame” were frequent barriers for males to accessing treatment and the fact that eating disorders are commonly mistakenly identified as a ‘female disorder’.
Mia said, “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
