Regional publisher Australian Community Media is backing youth mental health with a promotion that also donates a percentage of premiums to the group's new insurance offering.

The partnership with not-for-profit the Kindness Factory followed feedback from staff who said from a corporate social responsibility perspective, mental health was the number one issue they wanted to do something about.

ACM managing director Tony Kendall said the partnership signified an “important step in its commitment to keeping the community strong, informed and connected.”

The campaign aims not only to drive awareness for the work the Kindness Factory does but also provide a funding mechanism to push their work out across communities in whch ACM is active.

The Kindness Factory was founded by Kath Koschel following a number of life tragedies. What started with a website that collated random acts of kindness has evolved into the Kind Schools Network which helps schools embed “12 attributes of kindness” into the school curriculum.

Koschel sees the partnership as a really important step for their next phase of growth, which includes the February launch of the Kind Schools Network in an initial 80 schools.

Support for the Kindness Factory includes an interview with Koschel and a summary of the partnership in print and digital. ACM’s 14 daily mastheads including the Canberra Times, Newcastle Herald, Illawarra Mercury and Bendigo Advertiser will carry the interview as a four-page wrap.

A World Kindness Day feature this Saturday, November 13 will encourage Australians to log their act of kindness at kindnessfactory.com

ACM will also provide initial funding for 80 schools regions to join the Kind Schools Network, and donate two per cent of each individual policy base premium from their new View insurance brand.

• News Corp Australia announced this week November 16) it will give $1 million to Rural & Remote Mental Health next year as part of the commitment it made to communities impacted by the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires. The money will help deliver mental health literacy and suicide prevention training over two years, commencing early 2022.

Pictured: Leanne Jennings is a presenter at Rural Minds in Bairnsdale, Victoria, one one of three workshops Rural & Mental Health run.