Great Aussie Pubs believes the greatest pubs are more than places to eat and drink. They're places where people, connect, belong and look out for one another.
Some pubs are taking that idea a step further.
GLASS EMPTY and The Whisperer Team is helping create a culture where checking in, starting a conversation and offering support becomes a normal part of pub life.
Some pubs are taking that idea a step further.
GLASS EMPTY and The Whisperer Team is helping create a culture where checking in, starting a conversation and offering support becomes a normal part of pub life.
GLASS EMPTY - A Simple Signal
GLASS EMPTY is a simple, visible signal designed to make it easier for someone experiencing emotional distress to let others know they may need a conversation.
An upturned empty glass with a GLASS EMPTY coaster on top provides a non-verbal way of saying: "I'm not OK. I need someone to check in".
An upturned empty glass with a GLASS EMPTY coaster on top provides a non-verbal way of saying: "I'm not OK. I need someone to check in".
The Whisperer Team - Be the Mate When It Matters
A Whisperer is someone who is prepared to notice, start a conversation when someone may be struggling, then listen and stay to hear them.
They could be a Pub Whisperer - a bartender prepared to have that BRAVE conversations with someone about their suicide distress, or a Community Whisperer - someone from the community prepared to do the same.
It's not about being a counsellor or having all the answers.
It's about being a mate when it matters.
They could be a Pub Whisperer - a bartender prepared to have that BRAVE conversations with someone about their suicide distress, or a Community Whisperer - someone from the community prepared to do the same.
It's not about being a counsellor or having all the answers.
It's about being a mate when it matters.
Why does this belong on Great Aussie Pubs?
Because we believe great pubs are built around people.
The publican who knows your name.
The bartender who notices when something isn't right.
The mate who asks, “Are you OK?”
These small moments of connection can matter.
GLASS EMPTY & The Whisperer Team is about helping make those moments easier to start.
What if there was a simple way for someone who couldn't find the words to let someone know they weren't OK?
That question led to GLASS EMPTY.
The idea was trialled in Aldinga, South Australia, where local pubs and community members helped test what happens when a simple signal becomes a catalyst for conversation.
The experience helped shape The Whisperer Team — a community of people prepared to be there when someone needs a mate.
Great pubs are places where people belong.
We believe community suicide prevention doesn't always begin in a clinic or a counselling room.
Sometimes it begins with a simple question across a bar: “Are ya alright, mate?”
And sometimes, it begins with an empty glass and a coaster.
The publican who knows your name.
The bartender who notices when something isn't right.
The mate who asks, “Are you OK?”
These small moments of connection can matter.
GLASS EMPTY & The Whisperer Team is about helping make those moments easier to start.
What if there was a simple way for someone who couldn't find the words to let someone know they weren't OK?
That question led to GLASS EMPTY.
The idea was trialled in Aldinga, South Australia, where local pubs and community members helped test what happens when a simple signal becomes a catalyst for conversation.
The experience helped shape The Whisperer Team — a community of people prepared to be there when someone needs a mate.
Great pubs are places where people belong.
We believe community suicide prevention doesn't always begin in a clinic or a counselling room.
Sometimes it begins with a simple question across a bar: “Are ya alright, mate?”
And sometimes, it begins with an empty glass and a coaster.
