That was the message being spread at the Going Blue for Depression event in Hargreaves Mall on Wednesday.

The event was the brainchild of Marnie Tole and her son Richard and was designed to reduce the stigmas surrounding depression.

"We're raising awareness for depression because one in six people, at some point in their life, will suffer from depression," Ms Tole said.

"We're not trying to talk up suicide or anything like that but we're just saying, 'Hey, you don't need to hide away, you can be open and admit that you suffer from depression.

"There is help out there and nobody ever needs to feel alone.

"There are great organisation here in Bendigo like headspace that can help and, nationally, beyondblue.

"There are so many places people can go for help."

Ms Tole, Richard and a group of blue ambassadors manned a stall with beyondblue information kits, blue balloons and blue hairspray for people who dared to colour their hair.

"This all started with a young person on Facebook who committed suicide," Ms Tole said.

"We decided to go blue for one day and say it's OK to be blue and there is help."