The region’s 18 Anytime Fitness gyms have banded together to launch a month-long fundraising campaign which will culminate in WELLFEST at Hunter Sports Centre, Glendale on June 26.

The gyms are trying to raise $70,000 as part of the region-wide Building Better Humans campaign, which WELLFEST facilitator Matt Turner hoped would grow bigger in coming years.

Funds raised will be donated to for-purpose youth mental health organisation batyr, which funds programs within schools in the Hunter region to help young people struggling with mental ill-health.

“Looking at some of the statistics, if we do reach our goal of $70,000 it will deliver about 12 months of programs in actual schools in the Hunter Valley,” Mr Turner said.

Mr Turner, who owns Anytime Fitness franchises at Salamander Bay and Gateshead, said the long-term aim of the campaign was “to change a generation”.

“In the next 10, 15-20 years we want mental illness to no longer be a thing,” he said.

“If you’ve got issues with your mental health you just go and seek help”.

According to batyr (www.batyr.com.au/), in an average year 12 classroom in Australia of 30 students, seven will be dealing with a significant mental health issue but only two of those will seek help, leaving the others to suffer in silence.

Last year batyr ran four programs in three schools in the Hunter region and founder and chairman Sebastian Robertson wants to expand the organisation’s involvement further.

“We’re stoked to be working with the Anytime Fitness Network and can’t wait to work alongside them to engage young people in positive conversations on the subject of mental health in the Newcastle Hunter area,” Mr Robertson said.

Mr Turner said nearly $5000 had already been raised and they were expecting to reach their target with WELLFEST as well as a trivia night coming up at Club Macquarie.

Anytime Fitness co-founder Jacinta McDonnell, who is also the founder of charity foundation Human Kind Project, said being healthy included a healthy mindset.

“Anytime Fitness empowers people to lead a healthy life and we want that to also include mindfulness,” she said.

WELLFEST will be on between 10am and 2pm and along with Ponton’s boot camps there will be outdoor yoga to try and plenty of stalls with health tips and information for the whole family.

A highlight of the day will be a Guiness World Record attempt for the most people in a push-up chain.

The record stands at 138 people and WELLFEST will attempt a new record of 139 participants.

Entry to WELLFEST is free. Activities will be ticketed.