The Michelle Pascoe Hospitality Podcast · 2026-08-04 · 32 min
Gotcha4Life's Mentally Fit Primary School program is a whole-of-school, whole-of-community mental health initiative now running in 68 New South Wales schools, largely funded through registered club grants. Michelle Pascoe, Certified Speaking Professional and 30-year hospitality industry expert, speaks with Gotcha4Life's Don Tilley about how clubs are building community trust and staff pride through genuine charity partnerships. So how does a club grant actually turn into mental fitness support for hundreds of families? In this episode, Michelle sits down with returning guest Don Tilley, who leads community partnerships at Gotcha4Life, to unpack what club-funded charity work actually looks like on the ground once the cheque has been handed over. The Mentally Fit Primary School program works because it treats mental fitness as a skill to build before a crisis hits, not a service to call in after one. Don walks through the three protective factors the program teaches children, why parents often leave information nights in tears of relief rather than distress, and why the program is deliberately built so schools can eventually run it without Gotcha4Life in the room.
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