NRMA Insurance and RACV are jointly donating $2 million to Lifeline Australia to help critical suicide prevention services.

The funds will be targeted towards vulnerable communities affected by the summer bushfires and COVID-19.

“As an insurer, we know that the personal and emotional impact of a crisis can last for years,” IAG CEO Australia Mark Milliner said.

The donation will help Lifeline provide more than 8000 tele-health counselling sessions for people in communities affected by drought, bushfire, flood and COVID-19, as well as counsellor training for up to 3000 people and the distribution of thousands of tool-kits and resources.

Lifeline Australia CEO Colin Seery says the funding will “go a long way to reducing” the long-term mental health impacts of disasters and will save lives.

The recent devastation caused by bushfire, drought and flood has left many people vulnerable in this time of COVID-19 distancing measures, he says.

“We hope this new partnership will help make a meaningful difference to those at risk of negative mental health outcomes,” RACV CEO Neil Taylor said.