This newspaper is once again indebted to the tireless efforts of those who work to make our community a better place and thankful to those who shared their stories as part of our campaign to win a headspace for Albury-Wodonga.

Yesterday’s announcement by federal Minister for Mental Health Mark Butler that Albury-Wodonga would get one of 15 new centres is warmly welcomed after a 10-month campaign the Border embraced with its heart and soul.

Our thanks must be offered to all those who joined us in a campaign we were so determined should succeed:

- The school students, the football club members, politicians, civic leaders, business people and individuals who all rallied to cut out and fill in the butterflies that became the signature of the Albury-Wodonga needs headspace campaign and covered our Albury office windows before more than 4000 were taken to Canberra in November to prove the depth of the region’s commitment to the cause;

- Anyone who organised, promoted or attended concerts and other activities raising awareness of the need for headspace and other mental health services;

- Border mum Teena Conway, who drew strength from the tragedy that was the loss of her son Zac, and pounded the pavement relentlessly over those 10 months to have petitions and butterflies signed in a bid to ensure other young people will find the help they need;

- The support offered to our campaign by 2010 Australian of the Year Professor Patrick McGorry, one of the strongest advocates of the headspace model and its services to young people;.

- The efforts of the group of agencies led by Gateway Community Health who have been working together for almost two years to lobby and plan for the establishment of a headspace centre and who will now move up a gear to develop an implementation plan now that funding has been announced;

- And to Mr Butler, who listened when a Border delegation met him in Canberra in November last year and understood we were one community that needed to find a way to help our young people out of the darkness, we say “thank you”.

Our voices have been many but our chorus has always been one, highlighted by the young people who came together on Gateway Island last year to call for “headspace now”.

“Now” has arrived. We have done it and it’s time to make our headspace happen.