Students from Griffith East Public School have raised over $600 to help buy a couch for the youth mental health centre.

The students were allowed to pick what they wanted to raise money for this term, they chose mental health.

"We decided on mental health because it's a major problem in Australia," Ryan Andrighetto, 12, said.

"We want to help people who are feeling upset, and help them realise they are loved and that people want to do stuff for them."

The students held a guessing competition, with a large jar of all green lollies, and brought in dollar donations to help raise the funds.

On one day, they all came to school wearing green, to help raise awareness of Headspace and the importance of mental health.

Lisa Malone is a teacher at the school. She said the staff were "amazed" and impressed when the students decided to raise money for mental health.

Centre Manager of Headspace Griffith, Sharron Dean, echoed this sentiment.

"It is inspiring that the young people of the future, are so interested in learning about mental health from a such a young age," she said.

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Mrs Dean said it is crucial for young Australians to normalise talking about their mental health as early as possible, in order to overcome the stigma which is often associated with it.

Earlier this year, Headspace received government funding to build a new youth room at the centre, which is where the couch will eventually be set up.

According to Mrs Dean, the room will have a ping pong table, computers, televisions, and boardgames, and will be a safe space for young people to hang out.

In total, the students raised $616. Griffith East Public School then approached local business Mackay's Furniture, who matched the donation in order to provide the couch for the centre.

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