YOUTH ACTION ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019 ABOUT YOUTH ACTION Youth Action is the peak organisation representing 1.4 million ACKNOWLEDGEMENT young people in NSW and youth services that support them. OF COUNTRY Our work helps build the capacity of young people, youth Youth Action acknowledges and pays workers and youth services, and we advocate for positive respect to the traditional owners of change on issues affecting these groups. the land, past and present and future, across NSW. We are committed to a It is the role of Youth Action to: positive future for Aboriginal young Respond to social and political agendas relating to people and their communities. The young people and the youth service sector. Youth Action office is located upon ........................................................................................................................... the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, and we acknowledge their Provide proactive leadership and advocacy to shape the traditional custodianship. agenda on issues affecting young people and youth services. ............................................................................................................. Collaborate on issues that affect young people and youth workers. ........................................................................................................................... Promote a positive profile in the media and the community of young people and youth services. ........................................................................................................................... Build capacity for young people to speak out and take action on issues that affect them. ........................................................................................................................... Enhance the capacity of the youth services sector to provide high quality services. ........................................................................................................................... Ensure Youth Action’s organisational development, efficiency, effectiveness and good governance. Youth Action Suite 401, 52-58 William St Woolloomooloo NSW, 2011 Australia P (02) 8354 3700 E [email protected] ABN 17 209 492 539 100 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT 2. CEO'S REPORT 3. STAFF AND BOARD 4. MEMBERSHIP 5. YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND SECTOR SUPPORT 6. YOUTH WORK AWARDS 7. ENGAGING YOUNG PEOPLE 8. A NSW FOR YOUNG PEOPLE: BEYOND 2019 9. POLICY AND ADVOCACY 10. MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS 11. BEYOND STEREOTYPES 1 CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT For almost 40 years, us to engage all parties across the political divide during Youth Action has been the NSW Election to ensure issues impacting young advocating for young people were on everyone's agenda. My final highlight people and youth services to share was the opening of the Beyond Stereotype's to ensure NSW is a place 3D Mural in Parramatta. Combining graffiti art and where young people augmented reality, this art installation is a dynamic piece are valued, engaged of youth engagement open to everyone to experience. and supported. All our achievements throughout the year rely on This past year has been the support of young people and youth services. no different. Among my Key to Youth Action's success is the dedication and highlights was the launch of the Take Action website. commitment of staff, the support of funders and A key to empowering the voices of young people is partners, and the generosity of our volunteer Board. making available the tools necessary to support effective Truly a team effort. advocacy and this site provides young people across the state a reliable and easy to use guide to affect change on the things that matter to them. Ahead of the election, we also released a detailed publication "A NSW for Young People: Beyond 2019 report" capturing the thoughts and Tamika Worrell issue most important to the youth sector. This enabled Chairperson CEO’S REPORT This has been ‘the year While we asked for much more than has been of advocacy’ for Youth committed to young people and the youth sector so far, Action. With both a state it is important to celebrate the fact that out of these two and federal election elections, for the first time in over a decade, we have during the year, we spent both a Minister for (Regional) Young People in NSW and a great deal of time a Federal Minister for Youth. seeking feedback from the youth sector on the Youth Action has welcomed change with many new faces critical challenges facing joining our team. This has given us the capacity to bring young people in NSW to new approaches to youth services and young people take to politicians and in NSW. advisors from all sides of politics. Our report “A NSW for I want to thank my team for their support and focus Young People: Beyond 2019” set the election agenda on making the interests of young people the core of for engaging on issues and provided a solid platform everything we do. There is no doubt the year ahead will for advocating on the youth sector. hold challenges, yet I am confident Youth Action is well The Youth Action team also participated in a series of placed to ensure young people and the youth sector grass roots events in the lead up to the elections. One continue to feel supported, engaged and valued. that stands out for me was the Take Action workshop in the Bega electorate which featured over 45 young people participating in a Q and A session on issues that mattered to them with a sitting member and two candidates. Katie Acheson CEO 2 STAFF AND BOARD CURRENT STAFF YOUTH ACTION BOARD • Tamika Worrell (Chairperson) • Francis Dreyer (Deputy Chairperson) • Chris Brereton (Treasurer) • Lakin Agnew Katie Acheson Jacqui McKenzie Chris Andrew (Secretary) Chief Executive Policy and Operations • Peter Hope Officer Advocacy Manager Manager • Tilly South • Penny Lamaro • Alex Long • Rowena Tran • Todd Pinkerton INTERNS AND CADETS Kelly Royds Freya Conomos Krissy Stapleton This year we worked with 6 young Policy and Youth Sector Western Sydney people through our internship Advocacy Manager Development Coordinator program. Our interns worked Manager alongside Youth Action staff and gained valuable policy and advocacy work experience. A huge thank you to the following intern superstars: • Annie Renouf • Dippie Dhillon • Ursula Aczel Ruth Waterman Victoria Brown Lisa Huynh • Cassie Ngurah Project Events Coordinator Administration • Marco Stojanovik Coordinator – What's Up West Assistant • Zarene Catacutan PAST Chris Marcatili Courtney Angus Megarrity Imogen D’Souza Alice Rummery Operations McCloud Youth Research Officer Policy and Coordinator Communications Development Lead Advocacy Officer Coordinator 3 MEMBERSHIP Our members are at the core of what we do. Representing a diverse range of young people, services, organisations, and individuals from across NSW makes us a strong and productive peak body. WHO OUR MEMBERS ARE WHERE OUR MEMBERS ARE FROM ORGANISATIONAL % MEMBERS 49 192 51% INDIVIDUAL 89 MEMBERS YOUNG PEOPLE MEMBERS AGED 608 12 – 25. WHAT OUR MEMBERS SAY DIVERSE ORGANISATIONS MAKE UP OUR LIST 91% say Youth Action represented the youth sector well in the last year 2% Advocacy Organisation 91% think Youth Action has Community 25% Services a good reputation overall 26% Local Councils 69% said that Youth Action Educational adds to their capacity 7% Institution Neighbourhood 73% of sector members said they were 10% Centre involved in our work in the last year 29% Other % Youth Service 63% of young people members were 1 involved in our work in the last year 4 YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND SECTOR SUPPORT Our work this year went across representing NSW CREATING ACCESS youth services to all political parties ahead of the Along with our project partner People with Disability NSW 2019 Election to building on youth worker Australia (PWDA), Creating Access addresses the barriers networks and developing resources for the youth young people with disability face to accessing services. sector to support engagement with young people Consulting with young people with disability and youth with a disability. workers, we found: PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS: • Local Government Youth Development Network 1 in 2 young people with disability said information Youth Action host a quarterly Local Government about the service was hard to understand and was Youth Development Network. These meetings a barrier they experienced when trying to access a provide an opportunity for Youth Development’s youth service Officers from local councils to connect, share ideas • 100% of young people with disability who and learn from each other. had accessed youth services, had faced • Western Sydney Youth Sector Network accessibility barriers The group engaged actively this year, involving youth • Only 1 in 5 young people with disability workers, health workers and staff from tertiary said if they couldn’t access a service, they institutions from across Greater Western Sydney. would contact the organisation for support Quarterly meetings were held with 70 attendees. or adjustments • 56% of young people said they were not CAPE PROJECT very confident raising concerns about The CAPE NSW project builds on previous iterations something they are not happy with at a of All Together Now’s work building social cohesion youth service by engaging young people at risk of engaging in far- right extremism to undermine recruitment by white The pilot project supported 7 youth services across nationalists. The CAPE project’s new focus is NSW is to Sydney and regional NSW