Youth Beat service planned for SA

Last year Mission Australia’s National Survey of Young Australians identified alcohol and drugs as the second top issue facing Australia today. And the significant level of concern about crime, safety and violence reported by young people last year was often linked to alcohol.

To help protect vulnerable young people who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, Mission Australia operates Youth Beat mobile outreach services in the Northern Territory and Tasmania.

Run by trained youth workers, Youth Beat provides young people affected by drink or drugs with support and transport to overnight care, reducing risk to their safety and demands on local police.

This mobile outreach service has been so successful in Tasmania and the NT that Mission Australia is now trying to provide a similar after-hours assistance service for young people in Adelaide. The Youth Beat Adelaide service will transport young people to appropriate overnight care such as sobering-up centres or stay houses run by other community organisations.

Mission Australia currently operates the state’s only youth sobering-up service, located at Hindmarsh.

Mission Australia Acting State Director Phillip Leslie told today’s City Messenger that Youth Beat staff could help calm young people and diffuse potentially violent situations.

“Typically, the call is for more police and more CCTV to help stop anti-social behaviour but commonly, problems treated with common sense and respect can be solved,” he said.

Having a Youth Beat bus in Adelaide will also reduce pressure on local accident and emergency services, divert young people away from the justice system and help them to reconnect with their families and offer safe options.

The Adelaide service will most operate on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights with potential stops including Hindley Street, Rundle Mall and the central bus and train stations.

Youth Beat Adelaide is a little closer to hitting the road following a Mission Australia black-tie fundraiser held last weekend by Mr David and Mrs Janet Rice.

The fundraiser at a property in the Adelaide Hills included a performance by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. The money raised from this event will go towards the purchase and fit-out of the Youth Beat vehicle, which Mission Australia hopes to have up and running by the middle of 2011.

These funds are in addition to those raised by our generous FebFast supporters. To help fund Mission Australia’s Youth Beat bus in Adelaide call Jill MacDonald, our SA Corporate Relationships Manager, on (08) 8218 2828.

You can also help a young person who is battling drug and alcohol addiction, homelessness or other personal challenges to change their life by donating to Mission Australia’s Youth Appeal.

Further reading:

• Past Youth Beat stories
• Youth Beat Fact Sheet
• Mission Australia Youth Services

A catalyst for changing women’s lives

On this 100th International Women’s Day we’d like to celebrate our Catalyst Clemente education program, which is empowering women across the nation.

Catalyst Clemente offers free, socially supported university education in the humanities for people who are experiencing significant life challenges.

The philosophy of the program is that study in the humanities can act as a catalyst for social inclusion, intellectual engagement and positive change in the lives of participants.

Delivered in a community setting, just over half of the Catalyst participants (52 per cent) are women.

“The program is life-changing for the students and it’s great to see them realise their own potential,” said Sarah Spiker, Mission Australia Project Officer Catalyst Clemente and Communities for Children.

“One of the key benefits for the women who participate is the confidence they gain, which translates into all aspects of their lives, such as parenting, social engagement and the workforce.”

No one believes this more than Karen*, a single working mother and grandmother from Adelaide who last week commenced her third semester in the program.

Karen had to leave school at 14 due to a disruptive home life, which was marred by alcoholism and verbal abuse. “It’s hard to study when someone is ranting at home,” she said.

She waited 26 years – when her youngest child was seven – to return to study.

“Learning always felt like a luxury – something out of my grasp,” she said. “I had always enjoyed learning at school, then TAFE, but it seemed life always got in the way. I’ve since learned that if people can find a peaceful, safe place they can relax and study – you just need that place to open your mind.

“Catalyst has been fantastic. It’s given me the chance to first of all entertain the thought that I deserve to study and then allowed me to turn that into a reality,” said Karen, who is one of 11 Adelaide students enrolled in the 2011 program.

With support from volunteer learning partners and professional lecturers, women like Karen are gaining communication, writing and research skills – as well as a thirst for learning.

Last year she completed the ‘Short Stories and Their Writers’ and ‘Australia and The World’ courses. This semester she will study drama.

Mission Australia has operated Catalyst Clemente since 2005 and now offers the program in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth Adelaide, Ballarat, Newcastle and Campbelltown in partnership with various community agencies and educational institutions.

In Adelaide the program is delivered in partnership with Flinders University.

*Name has been changed.

Adelaide kids enjoy a day at the zoo

More than 80 children had the opportunity to meet Adelaide Zoo’s superstar giant pandas last week, thanks to Mission Australia and our generous corporate donors.

Among the visitors were children of refugee families, young mothers and children from homeless and crisis-care backgrounds.

Mission Australia arranged the visit to Adelaide Zoo after the children nominated it as a place they’d like to visit – particularly to see the new panda exhibit. With the help of an anonymous corporate sponsor as well as generous bus operators and food providers, Mission Australia staff made it happen.

“The children received the VIP treatment and got to see the giant pandas,Wang Wang and Funi,” said Jillian Paull, Mission Australia’s State Director, South Australia. “They also all received goodie bags that included donated books.

“There were a lot of parents and some grandparents who made a family day of it - a lot of the parents and children had never been to the zoo, so it was a special event.”

The children all sported dazzling butterfly wings – Mission Australia’s symbol of transformation. The 25 Mission Australia Community Services and Employment Solutions staff members who supported them on the day also glammed it up in black T-shirts featuring the word ‘Transform’ in glittery letters.

Mission Australia’s own Simon Lappin also kept the smiles alive with his guitar and supply of fun songs.

Building positive relationships through art

Five young women from the north and north eastern suburbs of Adelaide have celebrated the value of positive relationships by exhibiting a collaborative artwork at the John Harvey Gallery in Salisbury.

The girls met through Graphic Cuisine, a group formed for young women who have had experienced anxiety. Over the course of 10 weeks they attended afternoon art and cooking sessions that were delivered and supported by their case managers.

The girls worked with a local professional artist, Carly Didcote, who provided them with the skills and techniques to create a range of art pieces - from painted canvases to paperweights.

During the cooking sessions, the girls researched recipes, and worked co-operatively to prepare the food. The girls then re-created each dish to serve at their final celebration.

These sessions also created an opportunity for Mission Australia to develop a partnership with the Northern Sound System youth centre, which provided access to their kitchen facilities.

“Mission Australia was approached by Salisbury Youth Council, who asked if we had a group of young people would like to participate in the 'Positive Relationships. Positive Mental Health’ art exhibition,” said Amanda Grzyb, Acting Team Leader for Mission Australia Learning Unlimited in Elizabeth.

“We felt the girls would be the ideal candidates as the topic was relevant to them and they had formed a positive working group. During the final celebration session of the program, the girls worked together on a 'positive relationship' canvas.

“This project has seen a number of the girls’ confidence grow and for a couple of them this is the first program they had engaged in for a long period of time. We are hopeful it will be a stepping stone into engaging in further learning opportunities.”

The Salisbury exhibition included presentations from various local youth programs. At the launch representatives from each group gave a presentation on their artwork, how the group came up with the idea and its meaning.

The Graphic Cuisine piece will remain on display in the gallery throughout November.

Above photo (from left): Kellie, Samone, Kelsey, Carly, Inge, Jess and Genelle. Absent: Paige.

To learn more about the views and challenges experienced by young Australians, read Mission Australia’s 2010 National Survey of Young Australians, which will be launched on Wednesday 17 November.

A helping hand into a home

Not everyone’s a winner during a booming property market, as Adelaide mum Jane* knows only too well.

Winter 2009 was a time of precarious living for Jane and her three children, with the cold nights spent sleeping in motels and even the family car.

“We had to leave the home we were in as it was being renovated. Once the work was done the rent shot up and I couldn’t afford it,” Jane said.

“I put in over 100 applications but couldn’t find a place. I’m a full-time carer and if you’re not working it’s harder to get a lease.

“When you rent, all it takes is for something to go wrong – even something to happen to the owner – and you could be homeless.”

After months of uncertainty, Jane was referred to The Parks, Mission Australia’s Family Accommodation and Support Service in Adelaide’s western suburbs. 

Family Support Worker Helen Delaney moved quickly to help Jane prioritise her bill payments, organised for her to receive financial counselling and assisted the family into secure housing.

“Helen worked solidly to move me into a Mission Australia house,” Jane said. “She also did a lot of ringing around about bills, especially my storage bills, which kept the pressure off. If you’ve got an advocate from Mission Australia, things just go smoother, way smoother.”

Within two weeks Mission Australia moved Jane and her family into a private rental in a family-friendly suburb.

“My life is getting way better,” she said. “I have a roof over my head and it’s long-term and I’ve paid all my storage bills.

“I’m so glad we’re stable and not going anywhere and my older daughters can concentrate on school - being 13 and 11 and not having a home is very scary. And for my little one, just having a comfort zone is important. She’s now much more fun to be around.”

Jane particularly appreciated Mission Australia staff staying in contact to ensure her life was well and truly back on track.

“They kept in touch to make sure I was okay,” she said. “They don’t just get you on your feet and leave you; they make sure you’re properly solid.”

The positive outcome, according to Helen, was very much due to Jane’s determination to do the best for her family: “Her turnover from being homeless to settling into private rental took weeks. It showed just how dedicated she was to getting her life back on track.

“She is a great example of someone who just needed that extra bit of support. As we always say, ‘There but for the grace of God go I… You just don’t know where your life is going to lead you.”

* Name has been changed.

Mission Australia client looks outside-the-square to build a path to success

After relocating to Adelaide from Melbourne three years ago, Madee River found that, after a few months of unemployment, he would need to think outside-the-square if he was going to be able to support himself.

He came across Mission Australia's New Enterprise Incentive Scheme and soon had the small business training, mentoring and relevant qualifications to help him develop a business plan that set him on the path to success.

The New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS) is a self-employment program funded by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR). NEIS has helped over 100,000 unemployed people since the early 1990s by helping them develop the skills and knowledge needed to start and manage their own business.

At the recent National NEIS Association Awards for Performance, Mr River achieved national recognition in the 'best growth business' category for his company Designer Muzik.

Mr River and his team now help businesses such as Novotel hotel group, Cibo and BMW build their branding through tailored music, advertising and promotional events

"My background is in the music industry and I certainly spent many months researching and planning my business proposition," said Mr River to the Adelaide Advertiser.

"But I am sure I would not be here now without Mission Australia NEIS support," said Mr River.

DesignerMuzik is set for further success, with plans for the business to expand into Sydney and international markets.

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To read more about NEIS, or apply see the links below...

• About the program
• Application information  

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Media Release: Mission Australia Launches South Australian Early Learning Centres

Mission Australia will introduce a new era of child care to South Australia today with the launch of its three “family focused” early learning centres in Adelaide.

The centres at Redwood Park, Elizabeth and Osborne are former ABC Learning sites – part of the 29 centres Mission Australia acquired earlier this year and took over in June.

Mission Australia Early Learning Service’s CEO Karen Twitchett says the launch of the sites represented a new beginning for South Australian children and their families.

“Months of planning, co-ordination and consultation with leading developmental and learning experts have ensured these centres are ready to provide the best care and learning services for children and their families,” Ms Twitchett said.

The launch of the Mission Australia Early Learning Services in South Australia will be staged at the Osborne Early Learning Centre at Lot 19, Brookman St, Osborne, from 8.30 am, Tuesday, 22 September.

Children will have their faces painted during the “party” and will engage in activities including “children’s yoga”, a jumping castle and cake cutting. Ms Twitchett will read the children a story between 8.30 am and 10.30 am.

Ms Twitchett said Mission Australia’s Early Learning services would work with families and their communities to provide high quality education and care with an emphasis on supporting children to make a successful transition to school.

“We take a holistic approach to early childhood learning which means we look at all aspects of a child’s life to ensure they can get the different types of care they need,” said Ms Twitchett

“We envisage that in the future our centres will become community hubs where children, their families and other community groups can connect and access a range of services.”

As a not-for-profit provider, Mission Australia Early Learning Services has a very different structure and approach to the previous owner, ABC Learning, noted Ms Twitchett.

“Because we’re a not-for-profit organisation, any surpluses generated from Mission Australia’s centres will be returned straight back into the services to deliver better outcomes for children.

“The bottom line for us is that we’re here to provide high quality early learning and care and to make a long-term difference. We run our services for the benefit of children, families and the community – not shareholders,” said Ms Twitchett.

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Parents interested in enrolling their children in Mission Australia Early Learning Centres in South Australia can contact:

• Elizabeth Vale Centre on 08 8252 8539 - view map
• Osborne Centre on 08 8248 2355 - view map
• Redwood Park Centre on 08 8265 0758 - view map
• You can find out more about Mission Australia Early Learning Services at our website.

Youth on track to dream career

A bit of luck and a lot of effort has Happy Valley youth Jamie Hodgetts on track to achieving his career goal of building BMX tracks in and around Adelaide.

Only a few months ago, Jamie was a disaffected secondary-school student who hated school – but wasn’t sure how he’d find a path towards a job and a future.

But with the help of Mission Australia case manager Frank Ross, a lifelong passion for BMX that’s extended beyond riding and embraced the design and construction of the sport’s specialised tracks – and some good timing – Jamie is now looking toward a career in track building and maintenance.

Jamie, 17, was one of a group of BMX fans from Adelaide’s southern suburbs who had spent many hours repairing and maintaining the bike track at Pine Road, when he and mate Anthony Collins were approached by the City of Onkaparinga Council to help with safety-related track renovations.

A TAFE student in the Mission Australia “Flexible Learning Options” (FLO) program – managed through the organisation’s Southern Youth Exchange service at Christies Downs – Jamie says the council told him it would supply the enormous amounts of dirt required for the work, if he and Anthony would perform the work.

“It was a case of being in the right place at the right time,” Jamie says. “Anthony and I happened to be there when the council workers came to the track to look at what work needed to be done.

“They could see we’d put a lot of work into the track already, and knew what we were doing.”

After a week’s effort, filling every moment when he’s not studying for his TAFE graphic design certificate, Jamie says about half the work is done.

Jamie is hoping the project will lead to a fulltime job in track construction and maintenance.

Since joining the FLO program, he’s transferred from secondary school to TAFE and has enrolled to earn his bobcat and forklift licences after his 18th birthday in October.

He says “Frank” has helped him “make good decisions” about his future.

“I wasn’t going to school much, and Mission Australia suggested I move to the FLO program and find something I really wanted to study at TAFE,” Jamie says.

“With Frank’s help, I’ve changed from being a kid who really didn’t have a place at school to someone who can see a real future in a job I want to work for – all in a few months.”

Mission Australia provides FLO in partnership with the South Australian Government. It’s an initiative that offers education opportunities for young people who have dropped out of school or are at risk of doing so.

According to Mission Australia’s SA State Director, Jillian Paull, Jamie’s turnaround is a testament to FLO’s success.

“If we’re to stop young people who feel restricted by or excluded from mainstream schooling from dropping out then we need to be flexible,” said Ms Paull.

“We need to start building education around the young person’s needs rather than fitting them into the system.

“That’s exactly what FLO does – it provides accredited schooling outside the traditional classroom in a youth-friendly environment – and the results, like Jamie’s, speak for themselves.

“We’re over the moon at Jamie’s success and glad to see that Mission Australia and FLO have played a part in helping him stay engaged with his education and in a position where he can take advantage of the opportunities before him,” said Ms Paull.