Discover three Australian charities supporting those in need with a range of health and education programs.
Youth Projects
Established in 1984, Youth Projects is a charity offering outreach, education and employment opportunities to individuals experiencing disadvantage.
Operating in Melbourne, The Living Room provides free healthcare and support for physical and mental wellbeing. On-site services include access to doctors, mental health nurses, alcohol and drug counselling, immunisations and more. A range of professionals also drop-in throughout the week to offer haircuts, legal aid and other vital services. So far, there have been more than 12,497 people supported at The Living Room.
Transition to Work is another life-changing service run by Youth Projects, helping unemployed young people to develop skills and behaviours to secure and maintain a job. Professionals offer training and work experience opportunities, while additional support for mental health, alcohol and drug counselling is always available. Amazingly, 2,543 young people have engaged in the job and training programs.
Young people are also invited to visit Youth Hubs, equipped with free wi-fi, computers, games, and workshops and activities designed to build social connections and skills.
The Little Social is a coffee bar first opened in 2020, which provides participants in Youth Projects with hands-on skills development and employment experience working with mentors from the industry. Customers can anonymously purchase coffee and food for someone experiencing homelessness, and empower the employees as they work towards training and qualification.
Waves of Wellness © Paul Blackmore
Waves of Wellness
Waves of Wellness is a surf therapy charity, aiming to improve mental health and promote social connection through nature-based therapy programs. It offers a free, 8-week Mental Health Surf Therapy Program for individuals facing wellbeing challenges across Australia. Each week tackles a different theme, such as stress management and building healthy relationships.
Led by mental health facilitators and surf instructors, the program is designed for surfing beginners, offering a great chance to move and develop practical surfing skills. Surfing is an ideal way to process the feelings that come up during talks, or check in with facilitators for additional support. Anyone is welcome to join, with programs tailored to women, men, young people, veterans, emergency services personnel and more.
More than 400 programs have been delivered so far, helping 4,621 people through surf therapy.
Walk + Talk is another alternative wellbeing program, transforming a standard 50 minute therapy session by moving it outdoors. Participants are invited to walk with a registered mental health clinician in a one-on-one session combining mental health support with the benefits of getting outdoors and exercising.
© The Social Studio
The Social Studio
The Social Studio is a not-for-profit social enterprise supporting Melbourne’s refugee and migrant communities through fashion and education. Thanks to a partnership with RMIT University, refugees can undertake a two-year accredited Certificate III Program in Apparel, Fashion and Textiles. The course provides industry-ready skills in garment production, as well as sewing lessons, traineeships, work experience and internships. Since its establishment in 2009, The Social Studio has put more than 800 young people through the program, with a 96 percent completion rate.
The social enterprise and retail store generates funds for free education and training programs for refugees and new migrants by selling ethically produced clothes that celebrate diversity and inclusion. Alongside BIPOC brands, the shop sells its very own label designed and produced in-house. These clothes use up-cycled fabrics, saving over 20 tonnes of fabric and textile waste since 2009.
80 percent of the employees, interns, work experience students and volunteers at The Social Studio are from refugee and new migrant backgrounds.
To read about more important Australian charities, click here.