Dear friends,
I want to begin by acknowledging that this is Reconciliation Week. In the words of Reconciliation Australia, “The National Reconciliation Week 2023 theme encourages all Australians to be a voice for reconciliation in tangible ways in our everyday lives – where we live, work and socialise. For the work of generations past, and the benefit of generations future, act today for a more just, equitable and reconciled country for all.”
We would like to thank ABC Sydney Breakfast and FBi Radio for the opportunity to talk about the Federal Budget and what it means for young people in NSW. From our recent polling 75% of young people said cost of living pressures is the key issue, and their main concerns were groceries, rent and utilities. Youth Action welcomes budget measures that ease cost of living pressures through subsidies and reducing inflation. Read our Federal Budget response here.
Youth Action recently made a submission to the Select Committee on the Cost of Living. Our submission is grounded in the voices and lived experiences of young people that we have heard through our consultations over the past year. Young people need targeted solutions as cost-of-living disproportionately impacts young people and amplifies existing disadvantage. Read our submission on our website here.
We were fortunate enough to hear from Woolwonga, Gurindji woman Susan Moylan-Coombs in our recent Youth Sector Session on ‘Facilitating respectful conversations between First Nation and non-First Nations people.’ It was great to hear some insightful questions from the Sector about how they can better support young people in the lead up to the referendum. As the referendum draws closer, Youth Action is asking young people and the youth sector for input to inform our work supporting young people with information about the referendum. Fill out the survey for young people here or youth sector here.
During Youth Week last month, we were fortunate to hear from 298 young people at 5 events about what they want the incoming government to prioritise. We collated what young people told us and will be sharing their voices at our meetings with Ministers over the coming weeks. Read the report here.
Lastly, our friends at the Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP) have invited Youth Action’s members and stakeholders to a special performance in recognition of the important work being done by the youth sector. The performance will be held at The Rebel Theatre, 13A Hickson Road, Dawes Point NSW, Eora Country tomorrow, Friday 2 June at 2pm. Seats are still available. Please RSVP here.
Opportunities
Young People
Ask for Health Training
Youth Action recently delivered our Ask for Health Training to over 30 young people in Orange and Wollongong. The Ask for Health Training focuses on building capacity of young people to have conversations with their peers about health. The training looks at how strengthening the health literacy of young people and the services working with them can improve health outcomes for young people. The next training is an open online session at 5:30pm on Tuesday 6 June. If you have any questions, please email our Health Literacy Project Coordinator, Jazzie Quinn at jazzie@youthaction.org.au or call her on 0456 584 314.
Referendum Survey
Youth Action is asking young people for input to inform our work to support young people with information about the referendum.
Join the Youth Justice Presentation
The National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN) Youth Speak Out (NYSO) is hosting an info session for young people especially members of youth advisory councils on Tuesday 6 June at 4:30pm – 5:30pm (4pm – 5pm NT). This is a great opportunity to connect with other groups of young people on an important topic, to learn more about the issues and ask questions of experts like what factors contribute to children’s and young people’s involvement in youth justice systems in Australia? The session will be designed for young people, however the invitiation is open to others in your organisation. This info session is to support NAPCAN’s submission to the National Children’s Commissioner on Youth Justice and Child Wellbeing Reform. The Zoom password is: napcan
Queer Futures Fund applications are now open
Wear it Purple is launching two new national annual grants for LGBTQIA+ young folks’ art and culture projects. These projects could be anything from films to workshops to art exhibitions. Queer Futures Fund offers grants up to $20,000 for LGBTQIA+ young people up to the age of 26. They also offer smaller grants of up to $1000 specifically for 18’s and under called Future Me Fund. They will be giving half of the grants to projects that involve an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander folk AND Regional / Rural Focused projects. Applications close 15 June.
Children and Young People with Disability Australia – Youth Council Member
Children and Young People with Disability Australia is working with the National Disability Research Partnership (NDRP) to run an online group discussion for young people with disability. This is a paid, casual position with CYDA, that involves participation in co-design and leading the National Youth Disability Summit in 2024. This role involves remote and online work from anywhere in Australia and has commitment of about 6 hours per week.
Get involved with Greater Cities Commission Workshop or Youth Survey
The Greater Cities Commission (the Commission) is inviting young people aged between 18 – 30 across NSW to complete their Youth Survey and attend a workshop that will be hosted in your city. Your input will help the Commission understand the key issues, lived experiences and priorities of young people across each city. If you have any questions, please contact the Commission’s Engagement team via engagement@gcc.nsw.gov.au.
Western Sydney Young People’s Network
Are you a young person active in your local community committed to making Western Sydney a better place for young people? Join Youth Action’s Western Sydney Young People’s Network.
Youth Sector
Join the June Youth Sector Session
Please join us for our next NSW Youth Sector Session on ‘Graphic Recording to Graphic Participation: Harnessing creativity for deeper collaboration’ on Thursday 15 June at 10am-11:30am. It will be presented by Colin Stokes who has been using drawing and design throughout his career. Colin currently runs Felt Facilitation who work with organisations that want to engage in collaborative and meaningful participation. This session will explore how using creative processes can not only engage your participants but add structure and depth to workshops, needs assessment, program design, monitoring and evaluation.
Western Sydney Youth Services Network Meeting
Join our WSYSN meeting on Thursday 29 June at 10-11:30am. The session will run differently, where we are inviting sector colleagues to talk about a program they are running which demonstrates good youth work practice using the Pecha Kucha method of presentations. Presentation length using Pecha Kucha is 6 minutes and 40 seconds, this allows the presenter to speak 20 seconds per slide. Pecha Kucha is a popular social event and a novel way for companies and educators to help employees and students sharpen public speaking skills and promote connectivity. The aim of the session is to have a fun and engaging way of shared your programs and learnings. If you are interested in presenting, please reach out to veronica@youthaction.org.au
We are Hiring: General Manager
Youth Action is hiring. The General Manager position is a great opportunity to join a small, dynamic and innovative team and to grow and learn, while contributing to the advancement of social issues relevant to young people and representation of the Youth Sector who support young people across NSW.
School Consultations
Youth Action will be holding in person consultations in schools and services across NSW, including regional, rural, and metro areas. We would like to invite young people in your organisation or school to be part of these consultations, so that we can support the diverse voices of young people 12-24 years of age across the state. The themes of the consultations include re-engagement in education and learning, mental health and wellbeing and life post COVID. If you want more information about the consultations or would like more information, please reach out to Hareem at hareem@youthaction.org.au or call at 0456 574 467. We can accommodate to your schedule and young people’s availability.
Referendum Survey
Youth Action is asking the youth sector for input to inform our work supporting young people with information about the referendum.
Evidence-Based Practice Workshops
Join our online Evidence-Based Practice workshop on Monday 19 June at 10am – 1pm. EPB is an approach that is about ensuring that the interventions we are making into the lives of individuals and communities are effective. Youth Action has the capacity to deliver this workshop in person, we recently facilitated this in Orange and Belmore with over 70 people across both events. If you would like more information about our Evidence-Based Practice workshop, please contact us on: info@youthaction.org.au
Capacity Building Workshops
Youth Action has recently delivered our Advocacy 101 workshop in Western Sydney, strength-based advocacy training to young people in the Northern Beaches Leadership Team and Running a Youth Advisory Group training to the Red Cross. If you would like more information about our Capacity Building Workshops, please contact us on: info@youthaction.org.au
Membership
Our membership base drives our work and makes us a strong, productive peak body. A collective of diverse students, activists, youth workers, service providers, organisations and individuals from across NSW helping improve the lives of young people and the work of the youth sector. Have your voice heard. Become a member today.
Youth Action members fall into three catergories:
- Young people members – aged 12–25.
- Young person membership is free.
- Individual members – aged 26 or more and working in the youth sector or have an interest in youth policy. Individual membership is free. Organisation members – services of all sizes that support young people. Organisational membership has a sliding scale fee and is renewed each July.
News and Resources
2023-24 Federal Budget Response
This year’s federal budget began to recognise the full impact that the cost-of-living crisis has had on young people across the country. The past three years have been difficult for young people in NSW, with the pandemic, fires and floods and ongoing intergenerational inequity. The combination of these events has seen young people fall further behind. Youth Action supports the Federal Governments’ move to address the inaccessibility of healthcare, the lack of housing and the need for stronger income support for those doing it tough. Read our Federal Budget Response here.
What is inclusive research?
Research is an important step in decision-making and shaping policies. But often, the voices and perspectives of diverse groups, including people with disabilities, is overlooked. It is important to adopt an equity-based approach that involves co-producing research with people who have lived experience of disability. Find some guidelines, checklists and examples to facilitate inclusive research practices and promote co-ownership of research with people with disability. Learn more here.
Nominations for the 2023 NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards are now open
The Awards is an annual program aimed at recognising the incredible dedication, effort, energy, time and community service of our state’s volunteers. Open to various categories – from young, adult to senior and more – the Awards provide a platform to celebrate the unsung heroes who support and enrich their local communities for the better. If you want to give back to your local legends and community leaders, now is your chance to take part in the biggest recognition program in the state by putting forward your nominations here.
Mission Australia’s Homelessness Impact Report
The report presents a national summary of the evidence Mission Australia have been gathering over the last three years, including data from their services, experiences of their practitioners and the voices of people with a lived experience of homelessness. This report aims to shine a light on the experiences of individuals and families across the country who are facing the prospect of not having a safe or affordable home, reinforce what is working well in practice and illustrate where urgent action is needed to end the national housing and homelessness emergency. Read the report here.