News Archives - Page 6 of 16 - The Burdekin Association

EoFY thank you and winner!

July 11, 2022July 3, 2022

Kids in out-of-home-care highly vulnerable

Through the generous support of our amazing community across Sydney we managed to raise $51,870… just slightly off our $60,000 target with another $8,230 to go! We are incredibly grateful for each and every person who supported our ‘Educational Inclusion Pays Off’ EoFY campaign.

Young people who come into our care are a highly vulnerable and disadvantaged group, at high risk of negative outcomes such as mental health disorders, involvement in the juvenile justice system and incomplete education. 69% of the children and young people who come to us are unable to participate effectively in learning provided through the education department due to their personal situation.

Your support has enabled us to provide a positive and safe learning environment that caters to the individual’s needs, abilities and preferences, whilst achieving academic outcomes. Please take a look at what outcomes young people are achieving with your help.

Thank you to Community Bank Freshwater and their Chairman Trevor Sargeant (below) who presented CEO Justene Gordon with a cheque for $5000 which will go towards funding for an Education Specialist. Also thanks to our Patron, Prof. Brian Burdekin who matched your donations dollar for dollar up to $10,000!

There’s still time

If you’re reading this and you didn’t have ways or means to donate before the end of June – there is still time! All donations no matter how big or small will help us to finally reach our target!

Winner of Donate to Win

As part of our campaign we also ran a donate to win prize draw, whereby all online donors were entered into a prize draw to win a Manly Warringah Sea Eagles package! The lucky winner of the prize is Richard Griffin – congratulations Richard – enjoy! Special thanks to our sponsors – Manly Warringah Sea Eagles for the amazing prize!

Thank you to our sponsors Manly Warringah Sea Eagles!

A Safe Haven in Balgowlah

June 16, 2022June 15, 2022

We are beyond thrilled with the completion of Haven House in Balgowlah and want to thank everyone who has been involved from the bottom of our hearts.

Back in April, we wrote about the start of this project – a collaboration by The Property Industry Foundation (PIF), SMLXL Projects and Bridge Housing in support of our Youth Housing Program.

In a little over two months a huge transformation has taken place and the house is now ready.

Those involved in the project, came together on 9th June to celebrate the opening of Haven House and their collective efforts and goodwill.

You can follow the entire project about a house that sat empty and derelict for five years being transformed into a beautiful home over on the Property Industry Foundation’s website.

We are deeply touched by our community and what they have done.

The house has a room dedicated to Cameron Brae, Founder David Hazlett called DC Hazlett Room. We want to thank his family and Co-CEO Tim Gavan for their attendance at the workerbee event in his honour.

Cameron Brae Founder David Hazlet’s children and Tim Gavan

Other teams involved in the workerbee were Urbis and Scope Projects.

I always believe that we are ‘blessed to be a blessing’, so to be able to give back something even in a small and simple way to make someone happy is important to me,” says Urbis volunteer Donna. “It’s so wonderful to see the all the work ‘done and dusted’ at the end of the day.”

Coco Republic supplied furniture and linen for the bedrooms plus lounge and dining furniture and decorations. Property Industry Foundations new national partners AVID also donated furniture and other items for the nursery, including a change table and cot.

Property Industry Foundation CEO, Kate Mills,The Burdekin Association CEO Justene Gordon, SMLXL Projects CEO, Lisa Mort

Please follow the project over on the Property Industry Foundation’s website and hear from SMLXL Projects CEO, Lisa Mort about what it meant to be involved – Haven House Balgowlah.

FleetPartners offers driving opportunities for youth

October 4, 2022June 9, 2022

The road to independence just got a little easier for our young people thanks to an incredible helping hand from FleetPartners and The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles. The Burdekin Association will now have the ability to provide more young people across the Northern Beaches and Inner West of Sydney with essential learn-to-drive hours and support.

We are thrilled with the news that FleetPartners have generously provided a dedicated vehicle for Burdekin’s existing learn-to-drive program, which to date, has relied on staff and volunteers lending their own vehicles.

Learning to drive is an important rite of passage for any young person – it provides the freedom and independence in social situations, for appointments and employment.

Julian Russell (Eclipx Group (FleetPartners) CEO) and Justene Gordon (The Burdekin Association CEO)

The Burdekin Association learn-to-drive program provides support and driving practice hours to young people living in out-of-home care without the family support required to complete driver training towards securing their licence.

Not only does the program provide essential driving hours and practice, important relationships are also developed between young people and volunteers, who become mentors, not just driving instructors.

“The road to independence is very challenging for young people in our out-of-home care and youth housing programs. This support from FleetPartners and the Sea Eagles allows us to provide more opportunities for young people to accumulate driving practice hours required to attain their licence and to progress on to employment,” said The Burdekin Association CEO, Justene Gordon.

We’re proud community partners with the Sea Eagles and we thank the Club for their initiative in bringing FleetPartners together with our learn-to-drive program.

An Eclipx Group business, FleetPartners is a strong contributor to the communities in which they operate. Providing a vehicle to The Burdekin Association learn-to-drive program is just one of many meaningful ways they contribute to the community.

“We are very proud to extend our support to The Burdekin Association. We recognise the important role a driver licence plays in providing independence, building confidence, improving employment prospects, and proving a pathway to financial stability for the young people participating in this program. This positive impact is why we’re so pleased to be involved,” said Eclipx Group (FleetPartners) CEO, Julian Russell.

To find out more about FleetPartners, visit fleetpartners.com.au.
To find out more about The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles please visit seaeagles.com.au

Celebrate our Volunteers with us

June 16, 2022June 1, 2022

We recently celebrated National Volunteers Week as well as the second anniversary of the Burdekin Volunteer Program so, we saw this as a perfect time to celebrate our volunteers and all they do for our young people with an appreciation dinner. Of course we appreciate our volunteers every day of the week.

Just like our dinner last year, our volunteers received certificates of appreciation for their extraordinary contribution during the challenging times over the past two years as we navigated working with Covid-19. We acknowledged particularly the huge impact a trusted adult can have on the life of a young person, especially one who has experienced childhood trauma.

It really has been a time like no other and we thank each and every volunteer!

We have recently just completed another round of volunteer training and cannot wait to welcome new recruits into the team. We are currently in the process of “matching” some of our volunteer recruits with clients. We take this process seriously, looking at the skills, interests and availability of the volunteer and thinking through who might be the most suitable young person and whether they’re ready for a new adult in their lives. Many of our young people have lost trust in adults so it’s important that they are in a good place to be ready and willing to meet with a volunteer mentor. When the match works well, it is brilliant and over time, a very strong bond can develop. As one of our young clients said, “it’s so good that there’s someone who wants to meet with me who isn’t paid to meet with me.”

In the meantime, if you would like to know more about volunteering we have lots of information on our website, you might like to start here and then search volunteer. Please get in touch if you are interested and we will let you know once the dates for the next sessions have been confirmed – we love hearing from you. If you have any questions, please email: volunteer@burdekin.org.au.

Forum for Parents on Gaming

May 11, 2022May 6, 2022

DY Project is an initiative driven by Burdekin Youth Services - Focusing on Young People and Gaming

Please join us for a face-to-face forum for parents on gaming. The forum aims to provide education about your child’s screen time and tools to deal with it.

When: Wednesday 25th May from 6:00pm – 8:pm

Address: Northern Beaches Secondary College, Freshwater Senior Campus Theatre, 153 Harbord Road, Freshwater NSW 2096.

Why conduct a Forum For Parents on Gaming?

Parents are feeling helpless with the new normal of constant screen time. So, where do we go from here? How can parents help their children find balance between screen time and other activities without causing stress and friction? DY Project is covering the potential harms and risks of screen time and solutions. We are running a face-to-face Community Forum on May 25th, 2022 in partnership with special experts from GameAware, Headspace & The DY Project.

This is a prevention and intervention project aiming to support the many families that have found their children dependent on gaming throughout COVID times and who are concerned there may not be enough balance in their social, emotional, and physical lives, and wanting them to get back on track.

Special Guest Speaker, Andrew Kinch from GameAware, has 30 years gaming experience and 15 years of well-being and teaching experience. His skillset is primed to tackle this issue by using Intelligent Gaming Strategies to help gamers enjoy their games without it being the number one priority in their lives. Andrew approaches problematic gaming with experience-based strategies and current information on the psychology of games. In 2020, GameAware was awarded the AMP’s Tomorrow Fund and works collaboratively with HeadSpace to enrich the lives of young people and their family through strategies to make playing video games a hobby, not a habit. Working with parents, youth professionals and schools, Andrew and his team of mentors help empower through education and tools to create healthy gaming habits. Each month GameAware run a range of online and face-to-face programs to support the community.

GambleAware’s purpose is to work towards zero gambling-related harm in NSW through research, education and support for individuals and communities. The work GambleAware does concerns everyone in NSW who is affected by gambling. GambleAware work with adults and young people, families, schools, councils, community groups and the gambling industry to help prevent and address gambling-related harm.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TQTLBYH

Please click on the link to take a brief survey

Background:

Our Dee Why Project is an initiative driven by The Burdekin Association Youth Services – focusing on young people and gaming, a face-to-face forum one we are very excited to hold! Due to COVID times it’s been over two years since any forums have been held with presenters at the forefront. In case you’re not available to attend we will be filming the event and posting it up for your viewing should you be keen.

This forum is an opportunity to learn as a case manager the ins and outs of supporting our youth around the trials and tribulations of the world of gaming. Or, as a parent to gain amazing insight to the world of gaming seen through a young person’s eyes. What draws them in? What’s a healthy amount of time to game? Is my teenager dependant on gaming? Andrew Kinch is our key presenter, a previous school teacher also experienced working with youth at risk, his Company GameAware covers workshops, bridging the gaps between gamers, parents and professionals. Reducing conflict around gaming at home, minimizing compulsion and escapism by building resilience.
Headspace will also be presenting and covering their expertise in the area and linking into services and treatment options.
GambleAware’s purpose is to work towards zero gambling-related harm in NSW through research, education and support for individuals and communities. GambleAware is funded by the NSW Responsible Gambling Fund.