Illawarra mental health advocate selected for UNICEF program giving young people a voice | Region Illawarra
Brodyn Browne was selected from hundreds of applicants to gain advocacy and policy experience through the UNICEF program. Photo: © UNICEF Australia/2026/Robertson. A 21-year-old Illawarra mental health. . .
Brodyn Browne was selected from hundreds of applicants to gain advocacy and policy experience through the UNICEF program. Photo: © UNICEF Australia/2026/Robertson. A 21-year-old Illawarra mental health advocate hopes to shine a light on the issues impacting the region’s youth and champion meaningful change after being selected as a UNICEF Australia Young Ambassador. Brodyn Browne’s passion for mental health advocacy started as a teenager, when his eyes were opened to the systemic failures and inadequacies impacting his peers. “I personally have a lived experience in mental health, and I think so many young people have a lived experience in mental health as well,” he said. “There is a mental health crisis going on with young people right now, and in the Illawarra I was seeing a lot of gaps in the services. A lot of barriers and really extended wait times to get into these life-saving services. ”Brodyn saw young people falling through the cracks due to the extent of their conditions and financial constraints, leaving them unable to access services that are crucial to their health and wellbeing. “We have headspace, which focuses on that mild-to-moderate mental health, and we have NSW Health, which focuses on more acute services, but inevitably you have this gap in the middle,” he said. “In the Illawarra, there are a lot of people in lower-socioeconomic areas who can’t really afford to get into private mental health care, because it is very expensive, so you have these young people who are virtually left behind. ”Issues such as difficulty in accessing ADHD diagnoses and treatment due to costs and the stigma preventing people from seeking help were also issues close to his heart, particularly as a proud Yuin and Gamilaraay man. “For young men and First Nations people, in particular, there is this stigma when talking about mental health,” Brodyn said. “I think there are so many young men that are struggling now themselves and they don’t really speak about these issues. “And sometimes they go down bad paths of perhaps joining extremist online communities. “I think it’s very important that, to prevent that radicalisation, we do need to be focusing on their mental health. ”UNICEF Australia Young Ambassadors are helping highlight issues impacting young people. Photo: ©UNICEF Australia/2026/Andres. Brodyn has channelled his passions into studying law and arts at the University of Wollongong while also doing advocacy work with headspace and NSW Health. But when he discovered the UNICEF Australia Young Ambassador program, Brodyn saw a new opportunity to have a greater impact. “I wasn’t seeing a lot of children and young people from the Illawarra represented in decision-making spaces or in these advocacy spaces,” he said. “It’s true that young people’s voices are more valued today, but it’s primarily young people from the metropolitan areas, it’s young people from Sydney and from Canberra and from Melbourne, and yes, we experience similar issues, but we experience them to a different extent. “For example, I’m in mental health advocacy and a young person living in Bondi, on average, will probably find it easier to access mental health care services as opposed to someone living in a lower-socioeconomic area in the Illawarra. “I think I joined this program because it gives me that platform to really make sure the Illawarra and First Nations people are heard in policies and heard in decisions that ultimately will affect them. ”Brodyn was selected as one of 11 ambassadors from more than 450 applicants aged 16 to 23 from around the country to take part in the 18-month program. “They give you access to spaces that young people have traditionally not had access to,” Brodyn said. “Like opportunities such as the ability to speak at conferences, the ability to work on reports or work on policy, and all these opportunities that, as a young person, you don’t really imagine that you’d have. “There’s also a lot of training opportunities, there is a lot of upskilling involved, especially in policymaking, speaking to media and public speaking in general. ”The experience is set to complement his studies as he works towards his dream of becoming a barrister, but could also shape his next career moves. “This is even kind of expanding my horizons. I’ve developed interest in even perhaps working in mental health policy or working in policy on domestic, family and sexual violence, and the policymaking experience that I gain from this would definitely be useful if I choose to take that career path,” Brodyn said. As part of the UNICEF program, he will have formal monthly meetings with the other ambassadors, with catch-ups expected every couple of weeks as well as opportunities to partner with his peers for various projects. And he is already feeling inspired by the people around him. “Some of these young people, it’s hard to describe how amazing they are or how intelligent and how knowledgeable and also kind-hearted,” Brodyn said. “You can tell their hearts are very much in the advocacy; they actually do care about it. ”The program has been running since 2014, with participants bringing different backgrounds and expertise on issues that impact young people, from mental health to digital safety and climate. UNICEF Australia CEO Tony Stuart said: “Young Australians are their own best advocates simply by sharing their perspectives and life experiences. “Our role is to give them the tools and avenues to be heard, and we’re proud to be able to deliver this program with the support of our partner IKEA Australia. ”For more information on the program and young ambassadors, visit theUNICEF website.