THIS October, one Portland woman and her team have been walking with a significant goal in mind, to raise $3000 for mental health.

Mental health advocate Eloise Goldby has joined the Black Dog Institute’s One Foot Forward fundraiser with a team of three, as October is mental health awareness month.

Lisa McKinnon and Ruby Farley-Jull join Ms Goldby on completing a total of 540 kilometres within the month of October while raising an amount of $3000.

Individually, Ms McKinnon aims to walk 300 kilometres, Ms Farley-Jull aims for 40 kilometres, and Ms Goldby aims for 200 kilometres.

As a psychiatric nurse, Ms Goldby has worked with people living with mental illness, giving her insight into what those go through and understanding that there is more room for funding and services.

“I also have lived experience, I have Complex PTSD, so as well as raising funds, it's also good for myself to get out and get my exercise in,” she said.

“I am quite passionate about mental health.

“Between working, I'm very much an advocate and just promoting good mental health and starting conversations.

“I've been wanting to start a podcast, I think because I speak so openly about my own journey and people just seem to be more willing to reach out because they know that you have that experience and you do know what it’s like.

“I’d like to just provide a platform where it's safe and people can meet your average Joe Blow that does have a mental illness, so they can listen to their experience and realise they aren't alone.

“I'm not a psychiatrist and I'm not a psychologist, but I have enough lived experience to kind of direct people in the right way.”

Ms Goldby believes that today, compared to 10 years ago, the stigma around someone suffering with a mental illness has reduced and access to local support has increased.

Support could be accessed at Headspace, Youth Live4Life Ltd, Black Dog Institute or by starting off talking to a General Practitioner, as having a mental illness is classed as a medical condition.

The Black Dog Institute’s One Foot Forward fundraiser aims to provide different resources to teach those about mental health and to support those suffering with a mental illness.

$40 raised will help two young people experiencing issues with sleep that could develop into a form of depression or anxiety, while $65 will assist in coordinating the First Nations People’s network to create services that are culturally safe.

$140 will ensure Black Dog’s policy unit can use research to inform government policies and advise on mental health reforms, $250 will allow Black Dog to deliver researched-informed training to a teacher to help students with stress and anxiety at school.

Lastly, $500 engages two people with mental illness in the research and development of new programs and services.

Ms Goldby said she believes people are doing all the right things and are heading in the right direction.

“I think it's just opening up the conversation more, having faith in that you can speak up and say ‘hey, I'm not well’,” she said.

“At the end of the day, there is always going to be people that don't believe in mental health, because I know people that believe it's just not a thing.

“The only way you can move forward as someone with mental illness is recognising your core issues and work through them, such as doing psychotherapy or other.

“Black Dog Institute is fantastic.

“They are constantly raising money primarily for research and there are so many gaps within mental health, so if we can fill some of those with some research and get some education out there, they’re some core parts of moving forward.”

Ms Goldby and her team have so far raised about only $700 and are still seeking donations.