Opportunity knocks with $1.5 million for youth-led projects to boost community connections

Wednesday, 4 December 2024

*Link to case study here*

The Minns Labor Government is delivering $1.5 million in grants to empower young people to design and deliver a range of unique community projects across NSW.

Thirty-five organisations were successful in securing grants of up to $50,000 under the 2024 Youth Opportunities program. The funding supports the delivery of youth-led projects that aim to address the needs of marginalised young people in their communities.

Each project will involve young people at every stage – from identifying local needs and developing a project proposal through to its design, delivery and final review.

The innovative projects will increase young people’s connection to their communities and give them the chance to develop essential leadership, communication and management skills – helping them to achieve their full potential.

Marginalised youth can include people aged between 12 and 24 who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness, are from lower socio-economic backgrounds, are transitioning from out-of-home care, live with a disability, are young carers or have contact with the justice system.

Since it was first launched in 2012, the Youth Opportunities program has provided $18.3 million in funding to 399 projects across NSW.

The program funds a diverse range of projects from across NSW, including in rural and regional areas, and encourages applications from Aboriginal and culturally and linguistically diverse organisations.

The projects announced today will commence in 2025.

Minister for Youth Rose Jackson said:

“The Youth Opportunities grants are a fantastic and important program for NSW communities and marginalised young people.

“The 35 successful projects are from diverse areas across the state and include hands-on workshops, running markets and showcases, sharing Aboriginal cultural knowledge and helping young people to develop essential skills.

“When young people feel empowered to bring their ideas and opinions to the table and feel that these contributions are respected, it fosters personal confidence and professional growth.

“This program allows NSW youth to take the lead on a range of innovative projects, overcoming barriers and creating a greater sense of belonging within their local area.”

Recipient list

SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS:

Organisation	Project Title		Primary Location	$Amount
Ashford Local Aboriginal Land Council		Culture Club	Ashford	$27,000
BREED Australia Inc		Change Creators	Nirimba Fields	$50,000
Camden Council		The Camden Lead the Way Project	Oran Park	$50,000
City of Canada Bay Council		Canada Bay Youth Connect	Concord	$33,500
City of Newcastle Council		City of Newcastle Welcome Program	Newcastle	$50,000
Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council		Empowering Strong, Confident Youth to Engage in Our Community	Cootamundra	$30,000
Country as Teacher Inc		Ngalawaa Bulaan Gii Bundjalung Youth Leadership Initiative	Byron Bay	$50,000
Edmund Rice Community Services Limited		Transition to LEADership	Balmain	$39,718
Ginhar Indigenous Corporation		Regional Young Peoples Creative Arts Journey	Goodooga	$39,880
Hilltops Council		Hilltops Youth Passport Program	Young	$50,000
Homes North Community Housing Company ltd		GEN Z Living Your Best Life	Tamworth	$49,850
ID Know Yourself Aboriginal Corporation		Bush Tucker and Herbs Learning Garden Intensive	Zetland	$50,000
Kyogle Together Incorporated		Kyogle Youth Advisory Committee - West of the Range Activation	Bonalbo	$50,000
Many Mobs Indigenous Corporation		Many Mobs Youth Engagement Cultural Camp	Deniliquin	$40,000
Merana Aboriginal Community Association For The Hawkesbury Inc		Cultural Thread - Weaving First Nations Culture with Youth Leadership	Richmond	$50,000
Muslim Community Radio		The Young Minds Podcast and Youth Media training	Chester Hill	$22,350
NSW - Central West Muslims Association Incorporated		Empower and Engage: Bridging Cultures and Communities	Dubbo	$50,000
Orange City Council		Walking on Country	Orange	$7,644
Penrith City Council		YouthNPower: Bridging Gaps, Building Futures	Penrith	$49,900
Phoenix Community Project Inc		Keep me Safe	Sutherland	$50,000
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council		Youth Excellence Program	Port Macquarie	$10,000
Project Youth		CompassPoint	Miranda	$50,000
Regional Community Builders Incorporated		Dreaming Big and Building a Future for Aboriginal Youth at Risk and Youth with a Disability	Inverell	$42,384
Sonder Youth Ltd		Regional Youth Empowerment Network	Cambewarra	$50,000
Taree Universities Campus Ltd		Live n Loud Youth Music Revival	Taree	$30,915
Te Aranganui		Young & Thriving: Youth-Led Markets	Wetherill Park	$50,000
The Returning Indigenous Corporation		Doobai Bundjalung Bush Food Youth Program	Alstonville	$50,000
The Skill Engineer Ltd.		YouthScoot	Kariong	$49,510
The Twenty Ten Association		Pride in our Safer Spaces - Empowering young LGBTIQA+ people	Newtown	$50,000
The Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (NSW)		Bongil Bongil Creators	Toormina	$49,400
Three Rivers Aboriginal Corporation		Creating Cultural Connections Project	Orange	$50,000
Uniting Church In Australia Property Trust (NSW)		3 Canoes - Nambucca River Stories: building confidence, connection and cohesion through culture	Nambucca Heads	$49,490
Wagga Wagga City Council		License for Change: Empowering Youth to Overcome Barriers to Participation and Volunteering	Mount Austin	$50,000
Waminda South Coast Women's Health & Wellbeing Aboriginal Corporation		Our Youth Thriving with Culture	Nowra	$50,000
Wesley Community Services Limited		Newcastle After-School Sports Program	Newcastle	$50,000
			TOTAL:	$1,521,541

Last updated:

04 Dec 2024