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This model looks at the how youths should be given more control over their own lives and that they are capable of making their own decisions (Trudy Cooper reading)

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This model explains to us how the problems within the youth are defined based off their environment, that having equality allows for opportunity (Trudy Cooper Reading)

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Website: www.whitelion.asn.au/balga

Whitelion supports at risk youth to help them find the courage to choose a better future through building relationships and creating opportunities that enable them to reconnect with society and reach their full potential. Whitelion helps increase employment, develop youth resilience and reduces the number of young people in custody by providing youth-focused, gender and culturally specific programs for acutely disadvantaged young people.

Each year thousands of young people are disconnected from their families and the community due to abuse, neglect, drug addiction and poverty. These young people have challenging life experiences with few positive role models and are caught in a "cycle of discouragement." Whitelion programs include employment, mentoring, specialist outreach support, case management and leadership development.

Whitelion's goals are to improve the life experiences of young people, aged 10-25 years, against five key aims:

Stable and secure housing

Sustainable connection to their community of choice

Employment and economic sustainability

Educational attainment

Good health and general well being.

Whitelion is a national youth support service. In Western Australia, Whitelion officially commenced operations on 1 st July 2015 after merging with local not-for-profit group, Balga Detached Youth Work Project.

Whitelion's Balga Detached Youth Work Project has been conducting engagement, alternative education and work training programs for at-risk youth in partnership with the Cullacabardee Aboriginal Community since 2013.

Cullacabardee is home to the last urban Aboriginal community in Perth, WA and originated as a social housing and welfare precinct for families not able to reside in the mainstream. Whitelion has sought to improve the standing of the Cullacabardee community, whilst also enabling young people and the community to be more active and capable of connecting with the mainstream. The Cullacabardee community were at-risk of closure through Government decision makers in recent times but due to the Whitelion activity, the risks have been greatly minimised. Consultation with the Aboriginal Lands Trust has informed that the Cullacabardee site 'increases in relevance' for the wider community's needs and moves away from reliance as a public housing site.

In consultation with the Cullacabardee community, Whitelion has developed plans to develop a social enterprise project which has inherent principles of youth inclusion and cultural appropriateness. Support to realise this initiative is required.

To achieve the desired objective, Whitelion needs to establish a solid business and marketing plan. Support is required to provide guidance, navigation and production of a business plan which can inform the direction of the social enterprise business but also serve as a model which can be used to attract future funding.

If you are interested in assisting with this project, please email Jasmin Grace at skillsbank@leadershipwa.org.au who will facilitate an introduction.

Please feel free to contact Jasmin Grace on 9369 677 or jasmin.grace@leadershipwa.org.au, if you have any questions.

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Use your business planning skills to assist Whitelion

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Website: www.whitelion.asn.au/balga Whitelion supports at risk youth to help them find the courage to choose a better future through building relationships and creating opportunities that enable them to reconnect with society and reach their full potential.

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What is Youth Work?

"Youth work is a practice that places young people and their interests first. Youth work is a relational practice, where the youth worker operates alongside the young person in their context. Youth work is an empowering practice that advocates for and facilitates a young person's independence, participation in society, connectedness and realisation of their rights"

Australian Youth Affairs Coalition, National Definition of Youth Work, 2013.

NATIONAL DEFINITION OF YOUTH WORK (PDF)

Youth Work WA was involved in the development of the National Definition of Youth Work with AYAC during 2013.

What is not Youth Work?

Just as there are many important people working in healthcare that aren't doctors, and many working in law who aren't lawyers, many people who work with young people are not Youth Workers. This doesn't make their contributions less important, but it does distinguish them from the profession of Youth Work. This distinction is important for many reasons. Primarily it is important for young people to know what is and is not a part of their relationship with you to allow them to make an informed decision about how they connect with your service.

To be considered a Youth Worker in Australia, you should practise according to the definition above, and in Western Australia your practice should be aligned to the Code of Ethics for Youth Work in WA. If you find it impossible to align your work to the Code of Ethics, your role wouldn't be considered youth work.

If the following statements don't apply to your service or to the way you work with young people then it's probably not Youth Work;

The young person is the primary client, their interests as they see them come first (not their interests as you see them);

The young person is ultimately empowered to make their own decisions about their participation, and the choices they make;

The young person's engagement with you is voluntary (it's very unlikely for an involuntary service to be considered Youth Work).

The following roles are not considered Youth Work by the sector because the nature of the professional relationship with the young person or the definition of their role is materially different to that of a Youth Worker. This list is not comprehensive.

Teacher

Counsellor

Mentor

Youth Justice Worker, Youth Justice Senior, Youth Justice Leader

Youth Custodian, Detention Officer or Prison Officer

Youth Psychologist

Coach

Childcare Assistant or After School Care Worker

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"Youth work is a practice that places young people and their interests first. Youth work is a relational practice, where the youth worker operates alongside the young person in their context. Youth work is an empowering practice that advocates for and facilitates a young person's independence, participation in society, connectedness and realisation of their rights" Australian Youth Affairs Coalition, National Definition of Youth Work, 2013.

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This article, although having a multicultural basis, outlines many aspects of youth services inc youth worker role, expectations, etc

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Long term relationships usually go through various phases. If your relationship continues, it ends up settling into a stable time of making history as a couple. When children enter your life, then you start a new phase. Later another phase where you are together as mature couple with wisdom and experience. We know that keeping passion, excitement, sexual intensity and romance alive through the years is possible. It is possible for relationships to settle into roommate or a kind of friendly situation. Relationships have ups and down, but you can use some tools to be on the right track.

How to keep the passion in your relationship

Be gracious

Small surprises can bring great rewards to your relationship. Taking time to put your clean shirt before dinner or cutting the flowers from your garden and putting them on the table are some examples of gracious acts. Such acts add spice, color as well as graciousness to your life.

Be kind

It is usually fascinating to see couples grouching at each other but turn around to share smiles with strangers. We normally take best friends and family for granted. A simple smile, a wink or any moment of kindness goes a long way keeping the passion.

Be patient

Everyone has their bad days, and it is normal. When this happens to your spouse, you have to be smart. Take your kids to the park for some hours or order some take-out for dinner. Give your spouse a break. This is a reality of life so you should allow for it.

Be honest

Telling the truth about what you feel and doing so promptly and respectfully and effectively will help to keep the passion. Share your fears, disappointment, dreams, and gratitude with your spouse. Keeping secret will only ruin your relationship.

Be attentive

Paying attention to life's details is vital. Pick up your trash and then pick up each other's trash too. Put things away and help each other doing small projects at home. Such things will enrich your relationship. A simple smile, a wink or any moment of kindness goes a long way keeping the passion.

These simple ways can help you keep passion in your relationship through the years. Take your time, and your relationship will be fun and exciting.

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Long term relationships usually go through various phases. If your relationship continues, it ends up settling into a stable time of making history as a couple. When children enter your life, then you start a new phase. Later another phase where you are together as mature couple with wisdom and experience.

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Funding cut may force closure of Ballajura Connect Program at Dungeon Youth Centre

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Funding cut may force closure of Ballajura Connect Program at Dungeon Youth Centre

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This article outlines the importance of government funding and how lack of it can bring about the end of programs which actually are achieving their proposed goals.

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A BALLAJURA youth program that helps hundreds of young people a year may be forced to close this month after funding was not renewed.

The Dungeon Youth Centre's Ballajura Connect Program is a drop-in service run for local children aged eight to 12 years old two nights a week and has engaged about 350 young people and their families.

A two-year grant from the Department of Local Government and Communities runs out this month, with no plans from the State Government to renew funding.

The centre's older drop-in service, for teenagers aged 12 to 18 years, will continue to run off grants from the City of Swan and Department of Child Protection and Family Services.

Centre youth engagement worker Aisha Barnard said it was seeking funds to provide one full-time and one casual youth worker to manage the connect program next year.

"As it stands at this point we're not carrying it on next year because of the funding," she said.

Ms Barnard said eight to 12 was an awkward age - not children and not yet teenagers - which did not have much support for mental health issues.

"The biggest success we've had is doing the transition program, so taking them through what we call the 'circle of courage', a model of best practice, from term to term," she said.

"It talks about things like belonging and mastery and making sure they know where a safe space is, that change is totally natural."

The free program helps mainly Ballajura-based children, provided case management and emergency relief if needed, other health information and helped Year 6s prepare for high school.

West Swan MLA Rita Saffioti has called on the State Government to continue to funding the successful program.

"The Dungeon's program is an extremely successful model which should be taken up in other suburbs; we need to continue to support these types of programs for young people," she said.

Community Services Minister Paul Miles said the one-off grant of $408,200 was provided through the Government's social innovation grant program to fund a specific project that ended this year.

"The centre receives $170,617.52 in annual funding from the Department of Child Protection and Family Services," he said.

"The Liberal National Government is currently undertaking a whole-of-government youth service mapping exercise to ensure that the need and provision of youth services are closely aligned across WA, allowing future funding of youth services to be considered in this context."

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Funding cut may force closure of Ballajura Connect Program at Dungeon Youth Centre | Community News Group

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A BALLAJURA youth program that helps hundreds of young people a year may be forced to close this month after funding was not renewed. The Dungeon Youth Centre's Ballajura Connect Program is a drop-in service run for local children aged eight to 12 years old two nights a week and has engaged about 350 young people and their families.

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Describes the organisation and mentions the partnership with the Cullacabardee Aboriginal Community, which engages young people, provides alternative education and work training programs for at risk young people.

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Website: www.whitelion.asn.au/balga

Whitelion supports at risk youth to help them find the courage to choose a better future through building relationships and creating opportunities that enable them to reconnect with society and reach their full potential. Whitelion helps increase employment, develop youth resilience and reduces the number of young people in custody by providing youth-focused, gender and culturally specific programs for acutely disadvantaged young people.

Each year thousands of young people are disconnected from their families and the community due to abuse, neglect, drug addiction and poverty. These young people have challenging life experiences with few positive role models and are caught in a "cycle of discouragement." Whitelion programs include employment, mentoring, specialist outreach support, case management and leadership development.

Whitelion's goals are to improve the life experiences of young people, aged 10-25 years, against five key aims:

Stable and secure housing

Sustainable connection to their community of choice

Employment and economic sustainability

Educational attainment

Good health and general well being.

Whitelion is a national youth support service. In Western Australia, Whitelion officially commenced operations on 1 st July 2015 after merging with local not-for-profit group, Balga Detached Youth Work Project.

Whitelion's Balga Detached Youth Work Project has been conducting engagement, alternative education and work training programs for at-risk youth in partnership with the Cullacabardee Aboriginal Community since 2013.

Cullacabardee is home to the last urban Aboriginal community in Perth, WA and originated as a social housing and welfare precinct for families not able to reside in the mainstream. Whitelion has sought to improve the standing of the Cullacabardee community, whilst also enabling young people and the community to be more active and capable of connecting with the mainstream. The Cullacabardee community were at-risk of closure through Government decision makers in recent times but due to the Whitelion activity, the risks have been greatly minimised. Consultation with the Aboriginal Lands Trust has informed that the Cullacabardee site 'increases in relevance' for the wider community's needs and moves away from reliance as a public housing site.

In consultation with the Cullacabardee community, Whitelion has developed plans to develop a social enterprise project which has inherent principles of youth inclusion and cultural appropriateness. Support to realise this initiative is required.

To achieve the desired objective, Whitelion needs to establish a solid business and marketing plan. Support is required to provide guidance, navigation and production of a business plan which can inform the direction of the social enterprise business but also serve as a model which can be used to attract future funding.

If you are interested in assisting with this project, please email Jasmin Grace at skillsbank@leadershipwa.org.au who will facilitate an introduction.

Please feel free to contact Jasmin Grace on 9369 677 or jasmin.grace@leadershipwa.org.au, if you have any questions.

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Use your business planning skills to assist Whitelion

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Website: www.whitelion.asn.au/balga Whitelion supports at risk youth to help them find the courage to choose a better future through building relationships and creating opportunities that enable them to reconnect with society and reach their full potential.

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Whitelion/ Balga Detached Youth Work Project website

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Whitelion/ Balga Detached Youth Work Project website

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Whitelion works with young people in the youth (juvenile) justice system to open doors to opportunities, positive relationships and community connections through role model, mentoring, employment and outreach programs and through preventative programs in the broader community

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This page outlines the school holiday activities which the Dungeon provides.

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There's lots on for our Seniors and Juniors, and as spots are limited for our events please make sure to see a staff member for a consent form and to return it as soon as possible to secure your spot.

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Dungeons at this moment is struggling to get the support from City of swan (as they have cut fundings)
(Jenn's e-mail, personal source)

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This page outlines the current programs run by the centre

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This is the initial proposal presented to the council in order to get the Dungeon Youth Centre started.

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This relates to looking for alternative ways of providing funding to keep the program running

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Dungeon Youth Centre is filled with workers who are dedicated to make a positive impact on young people's lives within Australia. Due to various funding cuts we have no choice but to discontinue our Junior Drop-In / Ballajura Connect program, which targets at risk young people between the age of 8 - 12 years.

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This provides an insight into what the Dungeon is and what they do

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The Dungeon Youth Centre is a drop-in and support service for young people aged 8 - 11 and 12 - 17 years which serves as a safe environment for young people residing, recreating or educating within Ballajura and the surrounding suburbs.