2013 Youth Work Awards

The inaugural annual NSW Youth Work Awards were celebrated at a gala awards ceremony on 22 October. Each of the 36 nominations, within 8 categories, shared a story of incredible contributions to the health, safety, and wellbeing of young people in NSW. 

(Nominees with winner in bold, highly commended in italics)

Best Partnership

Disability Services Australia with TTW and GWF

Disability Services Australia (DSA) Transition To Work (TTW) program is a 2 year state funded initiative that assists young people who have recently left school to gain skills to become ready to enter the workforce. In 2013 TTW and Goodwill Freelancers (GWF) joined forces to create The Portfolio Project to help young people living with a disability to secure jobs within the advertising industry. The team has worked collaboratively to produce some amazing results.

Nominees:

• Bankstown Workers with Youth
• Inner City Youth at Risk
• Linking Together Centre
• Macarthur-Wingecarribee Youth Service Network
• Midnight Basketball Bankstown
• Miyay Birray Youth Service
• Moree Plains Shire Youth Council
• Youth Mental Health Forum

Outstanding Project or Service Working with CALD Young People

Multicultural Youth Development Program

The Multicultural Youth Development Project assists and supports young people from CALD backgrounds in the Illawarra. The project offers training programs that provide information and training to members of the community so their access to and knowledge of community resources is improved. The activities delivered enhance cultural competence, create connections to mainstream society, develop confidence, self-worth in participants and recognise personal values as a contribution to Australian society.

Nominees:

• MCC of Illawara’s Links to Learning Program

Outstanding Project or Service Working with Aboriginal Young People

Linking Together Centre

The Linking Together Centre (LTC) is a community centre that offers a range of services, with a focus on the development of local Indigenous youth through cultural learning. LTC‘s Helping Hands program is an “Indigenous Justice Program” targeting 12-18 year olds who are at risk of being incarcerated or who are already in the juvenile detention system. The strengths based holistic program works with young people to prevent reoffending and offers them an alternative future.

Nominees:

• Lismore Bundjalarms Health & Netball Program
• Miyay Birray 

Youth Work Volunteer of the Year

Paniora Nukunuku

Paniora is of Maori and Cook Island decent. He has been actively involved with Canterbury Youth Council and volunteers for numerous community events for young people. He is a role model, especially for young people of Pacific descent and spends his time in his community by raising awareness about local issues as well as global issues that he feels passionate about.

Youth-led Project of the Year

Central Coast Youth Consultants Project

Young people were recruited, trained and supported by RYSS to be peer liaisons and consultants. The consultants engaged their peers to seek their views on current issues, identify community issues affecting young people and provide their own observations. The young consultants team has advocated for their peers, enabling young people’s voices to be heard on key issues in the Central Coast, promoting a positive youth image and creating many opportunities for young people in the area.

Nominees:

• Holroyd City Council “Make Your Choice”
• OCTEC Youth Connections - Cowra Sports Day 

Youth Service of the Year

Twenty10

Twenty10 has evolved over its 30 year history to become a place where young people who identify as being of diverse genders, sexes and sexualities, their families and communities can receive holistic, relevant and innovative therapeutic and practical support. Young people are key partners in determining health and education topics that are run through the year-round groups and activities program. This involvement has seen the development of 3 unique videos, a play, an art installation, a choreographed dance routine, a Queer Prom and many other skills building activities.

Nominees:

• Canterbury Bankstown Youth Service
• Miyay Birray
• OCTEC Youth Connections

Lifetime Achievement Award

Mark Hankin

Mark has worked at Cabramatta Community Centre for 22 years as the Youth Development Counselor. Mark has dedicated so much time and energy to not only to his role as Youth Development Counsellor, but also contributed to an amazing range of projects, groups and communities that took Mark well beyond the scope of his job. Mark is looked up to as a person who provides a best practice approach to work with young people. He’s been a staple in the local community sector, and mentor for younger workers at CCC and beyond.

Nominees:

• Vaughan Bowie
• Andrew Cummings
• Kim McLoughry
• Warren Welsh