EASY had three staff members (we’ll call them the three musketeers) focussing on housing and street based outreach. Right from the start, the three musketeers worked collaboratively, sharing ideas and focusing on creative solutions for young people in need of support. It was summarised succinctly in our first annual report back in 1993, “EASY serves as a highly innovative, proactive and preventative organisation that gives many young people the opportunity to discuss their presenting circumstances and make informed decisions about their future.” Today, we still believe all young people, regardless of the disadvantage they may face, deserve the opportunity to thrive – and that, in a nutshell, is our mission.
The small group of thoughtful citizens multiplied when, in 2002, we amalgamated with Menai District Youth service and opened an office in Menai. That same year, our organisation’s name changed from EASY to ‘Shire Wide Youth Services’ (SWYS) expanding our work into early intervention programs.
In 2008, the main office moved from Cronulla to Kiora Road in Miranda, where we are still based today, and in 2011 we expanded our range of programs to include parenting programs, drop-in and community events.
With our mission close to our hearts, our service grew and grew. Three years later, as we established a stronger presence in the St George region, SWYS became ‘Project Youth’, spanning across both George’s River as well as the Sutherland Shire.
Labour Y, our first social enterprise, was formed in May 2014, to focus on the education and training of young people who face disadvantage, ensuring they have pathways to secure employment opportunities. We work with a range of fantastic corporate and business partners who are making a difference to the lives of young people by hiring them as valuable and fast-learning members of their workforce.
