Our Mission & Values
Mission:
To help save the lives of our local youth, by raising funds for the YNST initiative through the power of music and community involvement.
Values:
Youth Mental Health Support:
We emphasize the importance of supporting youth mental health, particularly through early intervention and suicide prevention.
Community Involvement:
The event brings together local musicians, businesses, and individuals to create a sense of community in support of a meaningful cause.
Awareness and Education:
Raising awareness about mental health issues, reducing stigma, and providing information to encourage open conversations are key goals.
Collaboration:
Ottawa Blues for Youth collaborates with other organizations, including The Royal and Pleo (Parents' Lifeline) to amplify its impact on youth mental health.
Empowerment:
By supporting the youth, we empower young people to take control of their mental well-being, knowing there are resources and support networks available.
Inclusivity and Accessibility:
The event welcomes diverse groups to engage in its mission, ensuring that everyone has a chance to participate.
The Event
Join us for an unforgettable weekend filled with soulful blues, great company, and a powerful mission! Every note played supports programs that empower, inspire and create opportunities for local youth.
September is Suicide Awareness Month. This aligns with our mission: "To raise funds in support of Youth Suicide Prevention through The Royal."
Our Saturday, September 19, 2026, musical fundraising event will be held at The Gladstone Theatre again this year.
We are fortunate to have Bell Let’s Talk as our Presenting Sponsor and very thankful to all of our generous supporting sponsors as well.
Stay tuned for more exciting details! Musicians to be announced in March 2026. Please note there will be no after party this year.
September is Suicide Awareness Month which aligns with our mission.
Founder - Anita Manley
Anita has lived with mental illness since her late teens, however, she ultimately received lifesaving treatment at The Royal in 2011, while in her forties. She really wishes she’d received this treatment much earlier in her life. Thus, Anita is very aware of the need for early intervention in order to set up young people with mental illnesses for the best possible outcomes. A future with hope, solid relationships, rewarding employment, stable housing and fulfillment. This is why she is so enthusiastic about raising funds for Youth Mental Health.
Anita is a long-time volunteer in the Women’s Mental Health Program at The Royal. She co-founded and co-facilitates Journaling as a Wellness Tool, a group to help women along in their recovery. She also offers Facilitators' Training, so that other organizations can offer this fun group, which focuses on connection and hope, with their peers.
In addition, Anita has been recognized for her advocacy and advisory roles, and for her willingness to share her story of recovery with many audiences, both large and small. In 2015, she was awarded The Royal’s Inspiration Award for her tireless work of helping to decrease the stigma of mental illness. In 2019, she was named one of five faces of mental illness through the CAMIMH national campaign.
Later that year she was credited by The Royal Foundation at The Top 40 for 40 awards, in recognition of her meaningful impact, leadership and commitment to mental health care. In 2020, Anita was featured as a notable Adult Hero on Silken Laumann’s website Unsinkable. On June 24, 2021, Anita was voted in as the first client representative on the Board of Trustees for The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre.
For personal reasons, Anita stepped down from the board at The Royal on June 22, 2023.
In January 2025, Anita began co-facilitating Journaling as a Wellness Tool to the parents and caregivers at Pleo (Parents’ Lifeline). After a brief break, she also returned to The Royal in January 2026 to offer this fun and interactive journaling group to women in the community.
Photo credit: Anna Epp, Jean jacket by: Handmade in the City
When Anita is not planning an event, she enjoys her morning coffee, long walks, gym classes at Where I Thrive, cross-country skiing, cycling, reading, listening to music of all kinds, and spending time with friends and family.
Anita is the proud mother of two inspirational adult daughters and Nana to her adorable grandson.
Visit Anita’s personal blog to explore her mental health journey.
THE YNST Program
Approximately 4,000 deaths by suicide occur in Canada every year – 11 every day – making it the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults between the ages of 15 and 34. It’s a public health issue with far-reaching impacts, and it can be prevented.
Organizations behind the pilot of a suicide prevention program called Youth-Nominated Support Team (YNST) hope it will improve outcomes for young people who have recently reported a suicide attempt or have serious thoughts of suicide. YNST is essentially a solid support network for vulnerable youth, set up before a moment of crisis. In this model, an adolescent between the ages of 15 and 25 who recently reported a suicidal attempt – or has had recent serious thoughts of suicide – is linked up to a team of three to four supportive adults with whom they have an existing connection.
Members of the mentor team are chosen by the young person and may include adult family members, teachers, coaches, neighbours, and religious, spiritual, and community leaders.
What do these supportive adults in the YNST program say?
These testimonials include a variety of people who the youth trusts and have nominated to be a part of their support team, including grandparents, school guidance counsellors and even parents.
“Thank you so much - your support has been incredibly helpful. We are deeply grateful for the excellent, innovative, and client-centered services provided by Pleo (through the YNST program). Pleo is literally a lifeline. I don't know what we would do without this service.”
“Your kind compassionate informed, presence gave me hope during a very dark and frightening time. Your questions, and the responses you gave to our concerns, helped me understand and think differently about my dearly loved granddaughter’s complex feelings and situations. And to move forward with her.”
“Thanks so much for your support. I know that it provided me with support and an invaluable resource. I also know that it provided (anonymous) with a sense of reassurance that we were meeting and supporting each other.”
Testimonials
“We applaud Anita for always working with the community’s best interests at heart. We know that now, more than ever, we need to pull together and support each other. There is no doubt in my mind that Anita and her outstanding team will once again put together a wonderful event that not only raises much-needed funds for youth mental health, but also brings us all some joy in participating.”
— Sandy McDonald, Bell Let’s Talk, Presenting Sponsor
“Anita selflessly devotes her time and energy to mental health causes in a tireless effort to make a difference and also reduce the stigma so people are not afraid to ask for help when it’s needed most. Anita’s efforts line up with The Cooperators focus area of co-operative identity through the support of a social need and improving the health of Canadians resulting in more resilient communities. I look forward to being a part of such an impactful event!”
— Natasha Hall, Natasha Hall & Associates, The Cooperators, Gold Sponsors
“I couldn't say no to Anita. She's got heart and knows how to make things happen. Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to support our youth!”
— Judy Faulkner, Faulkner Real Estate, Matching Sponsor
"Irene's Pub is thrilled at the opportunity to host the Ottawa Blues for Youth fundraising event in support of Youth Mental Health at The Royal. Anita Manley, a champion of mental health and a huge fan of Irene's, has assembled a world-class lineup of the best blues performers Ottawa has to offer. Between the calibre of musicianship and the spirit of the fundraiser, this evening of music is not to be missed."
— Mike Estabrooks, Owner, Irene’s Pub, Event Host 2021-2025