We Know the Thick End — Because We’ve Lived It

At The Thick End, we’ve walked through the struggle and still fight. We see the cracks forming in our communities — and we’re not waiting for change. We’re compelled to act.

Do more than belong: Participate. 
Do more than care: Help.
Do more than believe: Practice.
Do more than be fair: Be kind.
— William A. Ward

Where Our Name Comes From

The Thick End is a metaphor for the escalating mental health crisis we see in our communities. Right now, the wedge of pressure is only starting to dig in — it hurts, but we can still make change. What worries us is what’s coming if we don’t act: the thick end of the wedge.

Our health systems are capable of only so much, by the time someone reaches out for help, the window for early support has often already closed and it's too late for preventative measures to be effective. Sadly this leaves many with the only option to be medicated.

We believe that unless we stand together — as a community, a society, a global co-operative — and take decisive, compassionate action, we’ll all be facing the pain of the thick end of that wedge. That’s what The Thick End means. And we choose to stand at that edge.

The Meaning Behind Our Logo

The Mountain

Every person has mountains. For some, they’re part of the path. For others, they block the way entirely. The mountain in our logo represents both challenge and solution.
It’s a reminder that the answer to hard things is to do hard things. By building resilience, we build strength — not just for ourselves, but for those who depend on us.

The Thick End of the Wedge

Beneath the mountain sits the thick end — the wide, weighted part of a wedge, symbolising growing societal pressure and untreated mental health issues. It’s the force that splits, divides, and eventually breaks.
This part of the logo is a visual warning: if we don’t rise and act now, the thick end will come — and with it, deeper division, loss, and suffering. But awareness is the first step toward resistance.

; The Semicolon

We’ve also adopted the semicolon, a powerful symbol of mental health awareness and solidarity. In writing, a semicolon means the sentence could have ended;
but it didn’t.

For those living with mental illness, trauma, or suicidal thoughts, the semicolon means choosing to continue your story. It means refusing to be defined by pain — and choosing to fight on, even in silence.

You Are the Warrior on the Wall

Every day, every hour, the arrows come — stress, fear, isolation, self-doubt and more.
But you stand strong. Not just for yourself, but for those behind you.

At The Thick End, we train ourselves for resilience. We create and define our purpose. We build for those who haven’t yet found their voice.

We stand with you. Kit up.