Project Youth September 2025 Newsletter
Project Youth Newsletter - September 2025
Dear Supporters,
It’s been a season of growth, change, and new beginnings at Project Youth. We’ve welcomed inspiring young people into YPAC (Youth People Advocating Change) , our RAP working group, and onto our Board, ensuring lived experience continues to lead. We’re celebrating culture through the Pasifika + Indigenous Fusion Festival, farewelling Café Social as it reopens as a mobile coffee cart, and rolling out Tastes Like Home, a new program building life skills and wellbeing through food.
And there’s more to come! We’re getting ready to launch the BEAR Project (Be Engaged, Act, Rise), host our AGM, and drop fresh episodes of our podcast ‘Beyond Homelessness: Conversations That Matter’ (catch up on the previous episodes on Spotify while you wait). We’ve also been advocating hard by making a submission to the SCHADS Award review on gendered pay, sharing YPAC’s ideas with HOMES NSW for a new Young People Homelessness Action Plan, and contributing lived experience insights to NSW Health’s new Health and Wellbeing Strategy. We also have a new event coming at the end of this year called Unfiltered: From streets to stories, an opportunity to connect with young people and hear what they have to say about ending youth homelessness.
Keep an eye on our socials across Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn @projectyouthsydney — big things are happening, and we can’t wait to have you on the journey with us.
Kind regards,
Jodie CEO, Project Youth
Welcome to Our New Lived experience workers
Young People Advocating Change (YPAC) - Project Youth is proud to welcome the newest members of our Young People Advocating for Change (YPAC) group: Quinn, Grace, Aries, Harry, and Sig. These inspiring young people bring with them lived experience, along with a deep commitment to advocacy, representation, and driving meaningful change within their communities. At the heart of YPAC is the belief that young people’s voices matter. Quinn, Grace, Aries, Harry, and Sig will play a vital role in shaping the direction of our work, ensuring that youth perspectives remain at the forefront of everything we do. https://www.projectyouth.org.au/what-is-ypac
Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) - Project Youth is excited to welcome JZ and Daniel as the newest members of our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) working Group. We're proud to have two passionate young people with lived experience joining the conversation and contributing their voices to this important work. Their insights will be invaluable as we continue to walk the path of reconciliation, guided by truth, respect, and action. https://www.projectyouth.org.au/our-resources
Project Youth Board – We’re proud to announce that Aries and Shirley have joined the Project Youth Board as volunteer members. Their involvement marks an exciting step in strengthening youth participation at the highest level of our organisation. With their lived experience and strong passion for creating change, Aries and Shirley will play a key role in shaping strategy, challenging assumptions, and keeping us grounded in what matters most — young people. Having young leaders involved in governance is important to ensure we are leading with intention. We look forward to the insight, courage, and vision they’ll bring to the boardroom.
We’re excited to walk alongside all our new youth roles, encouraging them as they lead, challenge, and inspire change. https://www.projectyouth.org.au/our-governance
Welcome to our Lived Experience Ambassador
This year we also proudly welcomed our first Project Youth Ambassador, Ethan. Having journeyed through our programs and then worked with us as a Peer Worker for 18 months, Ethan has now moved forward in his career in another industry while choosing to continue his connection with Project Youth. Ethan wanted to keep giving back and supporting both our organisation and the young people we serve. As an ambassador, he will attend events, engage with funders, and share his lived experience to bring to life the realities of youth homelessness. Ethan’s journey is a shining example of resilience and leadership, and his continued involvement as an ambassador will inspire other young people while strengthening our advocacy and community impact. By embedding lived expertise into service delivery, governance, and leadership, Project Youth is not just delivering services for young people, we are building a future with them.
You're Invited: Fusion Festival Pasifika + Indigenous
Project Youth is proud to present the Fusion Festival — a vibrant, youth-led celebration of culture, creativity, and community. A cultural celebration led by young people for everyone in our community.
Project Youth is proud to present the Fusion Festival — a vibrant, youth-led celebration of culture, creativity, and community.
Date: Friday, October 10th, 2025
Time: 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: Gunnamatta
FREE & open to all community members
Join us for an afternoon filled with:
- Live performances by Pasifika and Indigenous young people
- Food stalls featuring a rich variety of cultural cuisines
- Creative workshops in weaving, carving, jewellery making, and painting
- A Smoking Ceremony with Uncle Dean
This event celebrates the strength, diversity, and voices of young people while fostering community connection through culture. Proudly presented by Project Youth, with the support of Sutherland Shire Council. Let’s come together to honor tradition, celebrate youth, and connect through shared experiences. We can't wait to see you there!
Farewell to Café Social – Thank You for the Memories
After 12 years of serving up great coffee, conversations, and a welcoming space for connection, we closed Café social on 25th July 2025
Café Social was more than just a café it was a community hub, a safe place for young people, and a space where friendships, creativity, and support could grow. From youth-led events to barista training and employment pathways, Café Social played a unique role in the lives of many.
We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to every young person, staff member, volunteer, and community member who contributed to the café’s success over the years. Your energy, passion, and presence made it truly special.
While we say goodbye to this chapter, the spirit of Café Social lives on in the work we continue to do creating spaces where young people feel empowered, connected, and supported.
Thank you for being part of the journey.
We’re excited to announce that Café Social will now operate as a mobile coffee cart, continuing to provide employment opportunities for young people and a warm space for community connection.
Find us in the courtyard behind 3A Stapleton Avenue, Sutherland
Launching Monday 15th September
Open Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Come for your morning brew and meet our fabulous young barista, who’s not only serving great coffee but also gaining valuable skills and experience through this youth employment initiative.
Thank you for supporting Café Social over the years and we look forward to welcoming you at our new spot in Sutherland.
Stay tuned for more details on our website https://www.projectyouth.org.au/cafe-social
Tastes like Home
Tastes Like Home is an innovative online cooking and wellbeing resource designed specifically for young people with lived experience of homelessness. It was developed in partnership with young people, a professional chef, and a qualified nutritionist to address a significant gap in access to basic life skills and nutritional education.
The program aims to build confidence in the kitchen and support young people’s physical and mental health through food. Recognising that many young people have not had the opportunity to learn how to cook due to unstable housing, lack of access to kitchen facilities, or limited support systems. Tastes Like Home provides a practical, inclusive, and supportive alternative.
Key features of the program include:
- A library of 12 simple, affordable recipes tailored to young people’s needs and budgets
- 12 step-by-step cooking videos, filmed with and by young people with lived experience
- Nutrition tips developed by a qualified nutritionist to support healthy eating on a budget
- A mindful eating guide available in both video and written format, linking food and mental wellbeing
The content is designed to be approachable and realistic and focuses on building everyday life skills. The program also considers the barriers that traditional online cooking content presents, such as inaccessibility for those without basic cooking tools, skills, or stable housing.
Tastes Like Home is being rolled out across Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) in NSW and is available for any young person interested in building these important skills.
https://www.projectyouth.org.au/tastes-like-home
Youth Mental Health First Aid Course
At Project Youth, we believe mental health is just as important as physical health, and knowing how to support a friend in need can make all the difference.
That’s why we’re proud to offer our Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) Training Course, a nationally accredited program designed to equip young people, parents, educators, and community members with the skills to recognise the signs of mental health challenges and respond with confidence, care, and knowledge.
This engaging, evidence-based course will help participants:
- Understand common mental health issues affecting young people aged 12–25
- Recognise warning signs and risk factors for mental health crises
- Learn how to approach, support, and refer a young person to professional help
- Reduce stigma around mental health through open, informed conversations
Whether you’re a young person wanting to support your peers, a parent keen to connect with your teen, or a professional working with youth — this course is for you.
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
