Ending Homelessness is our vision: Our new strategy for 2024-2029

In August, this year we launched our new 5-year strategy. It’s been quite a journey to get here, and we are excited for what’s ahead. We know we can’t be everything to all young people and a narrowing of our focus and utilising our resources effectively is a critical part of planning for our future in this new strategy. This new plan is for all the incredible young people we serve at Project Youth; therefore, we have co-designed this plan with young people and will continue to deliver this collectively over the next 5 years. Embedding the collective lived experience and expertise of young people who have experienced homelessness or other forms of disadvantage will transform Project Youth’s strategy, the future of our service delivery and deepen our impact.

The size of the issue of youth homelessness is large, complex and increasing. It cannot be ended by one organisation, program or policy
in isolation. This strategy is about the collective action that is needed to disrupt systems that are not serving young people facing disadvantage. This is about providing safe and secure housing, but it is also about adequate income, employment, education, health and wellbeing, and wrap around trauma healing support for as long as they need it.

My favourite quote from the strategy is: “We can only make the next generation better if we hear from young people themselves. Everyone has a story to tell and we need to listen to what they have to say. We all have a story that needs to be heard.”

    our-vision-and-strategy

  Young People Advocating Change at our Annual General Meeting (AGM) 

On the 24^th September we celebrated the 23/24 financial year with our AGM. The event was truly energising! It was a powerful demonstration of young people stepping into leadership roles.

At Project Youth, we’re committed to amplifying the voices and experiences of young people in our governance, actively decentralising power and sharing it with those who matter most. The energy in the room was palpable as young leaders MC’d the meeting, led the acknowledgment of country, and shared a heartfelt letter reflecting their experiences with homelessness.

We also enjoyed an engaging fireside chat with our Board of Directors, reinforcing our commitment to transparency and accountability. 

The evening wrapped up with some pizza and meaningful connections between Board members, staff, peer workers, and the incredible young people who inspire us every day. 

As we look ahead, we’re excited to continue this journey together. With lived expertise central to our governance, this isn’t just a goal—it’s our new normal. We’re embracing our motto: “Not for us, without us.”

We excited about our role in creating a future where youth homelessness does not exist! 

For more information please click on the link attached  our-governance

  The reality this Homelessness Week 2024 - 958 young people turned away

This year Project Youth had to turn away 958 young people due to limited resources and funding. So, we wrote a letter, a letter which is exactly 958 words long, each word represents a young person we have had to turn away. 

As a part of Homelessness Week 2024 Project Youth shared this with MP’s, Councillors and politicians. The letter is a combination of quotes, feedback and comments gathered over the past year from young people at Project Youth.

We ask that you read the letter, hear their voices, and join us in advocating for actions to help us end youth homelessness.

We also took some drone footage with help from students at Jannali high to bring to life the reality of how many young people we needed to turn away in the last year.

Ending youth homelessness is why Project Youth exists. We know together we can make this a reality.

You can access this letter in the attached link.

  958 letter

Introducing our new partnership with Tribe Social Fitness

This year, we partnered with Tribe Social Fitness in Taren Point to raise funding and awareness for youth homelessness in Sydney. Their incredible community came together for a 6-hour spin marathon, with some members tackling the entire duration while others formed teams to share the effort.

The trainers were fantastic sources of support and inspiration throughout the day, and the entire Tribe team rallied to make the event a success. Some staff from Project Youth participated, and our lovely Tash was there making coffees for the participants. It was a truly uplifting experience that highlighted the power of community!

Tribe Social Fitness became a partner of Project Youth in June 2024, we were invited to go to Tribe and let their workers know about what Project youth does in the Sutherland Shire and St George. The staff at tribe were very interested in talking with our lived experience worker who came along to the meeting. He was able to give them an insight into what young people facing disadvantage are facing each day. Within an hour of our meeting our partnership was formed. 

They had 84 of their members donate directly to Project Youth for the chance to ride a spin bike. A total of over $11K was raised on the day including a pop-up coffee stall with payment by donation which was run by a lived experience peer worker, it was an amazing day, with everyone involved feeling the wonderful things that can come of a community getting together to do a good thing. Tribe is also supporting our program Project Educate by providing our young people in the program with fitness classes for up to 10 students a week, this is an opportunity they would not normally get. Our most sincere thanks to everyone who was involved with this fantastic day. The awareness from this day has been amazing with my emails being flooded from members wanting to know what they can do to help. 

If you are looking for a partnership, please email me at:  partnerships@projectyouth.org.au

Q&A with a regular Project Youth Donor

 We asked one of our lovely regular donors a couple of questions. 

Question 1:How long have you been donating to Project Youth?

Answer: I have been a regular donor for about five years

Question 2: Why did you choose Project Youth to donate to?

Answer: I Started going to the coffee shop good few years ago and felt an immediate connection to the work they were doing with the young people. It was so encouraging to see some of them who initially wouldn’t make eye contact with you gradually gain confidence and interact with customers and see their self-esteem grow and then move onto new careers and lifestyles.

Question 3: What would you say to anyone thinking of becoming a regular donor?

Answer: I would encourage anyone to donate to Project Youth, giving time or financial support to invest in our youth of today. I personally think it is much more challenging for our young people today and feel any help or interest in them is a step in the right direction for their future.

Due to this lovely donors generosity, we have been able to provide opal cards to 30 young people when they first started working and were able to support 5 young people in Café Y with appropriate work wear.

Thank you so much for your support.

If you would like to become a donor please click this link   

 Donate Now

 Sutherland Shire Xmas Fundraiser for Project Youth

 PUT IT IN YOUR DIARY NOVEMBER 29TH WANDA SURF CLUB.

Want to support a good local cause this Christmas then this is the event for you

Simply scan the code for good times this Christmas and help change the lives of young people in your area, massive thanks to the @trustedbusinessnetwork for putting on this great event. The trusted business network not only does all this amazing work to bring this together but they also hold a weekly catch up at Cafe Y supporting Project Youth and the young people that work in the cafe.  We cannot thank you enough for the dedication and hard work you all put into making this event one we look forward to every year 

Thanks for reading we will see you at the next one

Our amazing photos are courtesy of our volunteer photographer Dermot Carlin. www.dermotcarlin.com