Mel Yeates busks her way to $22k

Mel, 30, created A Girl, Her Car and a Guitar and has since raised more than $22,000 for beyondblue and Love Your Sister. 

The niece of actress Fiona Churchill, Mel is heading out to busk her way around Australia soon in a bid to raise more money for such good causes.

She has been propelled to action by personal tragedy. In Year Nine, two of her friends were killed on a Duke of Edinburgh hike when a huge tree fell on their tent. 

“I was absolutely devastated by the loss of these two beautiful girls. It was a downhill spiral from there. I lost all interest in school. I shut down from my family, and I became depressed,” she said. 

At that time, her cousin was also diagnosed with leukaemia. She decided to shave her hair off to raise money to help and raised $4,500 for the Leukaemia Foundation.

“I heard about Love Your Sister, a charity started by the actor Samuel Johnson to help his sister Connie who had been diagnosed with terminal breast cancer,” Mel said.

“Hearing that Sam was giving up so much for his sister got me thinking - what could I do to help? How could I raise some money?”

Being a guitarist, Mel decided to busk her way around Australia and So A Girl, Her Car, and Her Guitar was born.

Mr Johnson assisted her by posting on his Facebook page, asking his followers to help Mel and over $13,000 was raised in one week.

Her original goal to raise $20,000 in 20 months was smashed in less than six months.

“Since then I’ve been contacted by hundreds of people with offers of meals and a place to stay as I travel around Australia,” she said. 

GoodFellows’ rental Company also donated her the use of a car for a year to assist. 

Mel is travelling through Goulburn soon. For more info, Mel’s Facebook page, donate here or listen to her on soundcloud.

Goulburn Post