Our Annual Reports are produced to provide information to members and other stakeholders about financial and service delivery activities of the organisation.
I am pleased to present the President’s Report for 2015-16 for North West Youth Accommodation Service Inc. (NWYAS).
2015-16 has been another year of achievement for NWYAS supporting young people housed in our program through a case-management framework that:
- Increases capacity and empowers young people
- Maintains and increases independence in their time with NWYAS
- Supports young people to understand their rights and responsibilities and the role of their choices in their situation.
I am particularly pleased to highlight the success of an initiative instigated by NWYAS’s new Manager, Nicole Walsh, for additional funding for a Mobile Support program from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2018. This program funded through the Department of Housing and Public Works, is based on the previous home base funding NWYAS had received. The Mobile Support program aligns with the service delivery framework of NWYAS to develop the strengths and skills of clients to increase their independence and autonomy.
Let me place on record the appreciation for all the funding and support for NWYAS by the State Government with particular acknowledgement of the Hon Michael de Brenni, Minister for the Housing and Public Works, and his Department. My thanks also for the continued support of a host of local community businesses including our local state member Tim Mander MP.
I want to also place on record my sincerest appreciation for the hard work and professionalism of all the staff of NWYAS. Without their dedication and determination the program would not be there to provide broad based services to young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. During the year a raft of fund raising initiatives were developed and implemented by the staff to help generate supplementary funds for program support.
I must also congratulate the new Manager who replaced Tanya Turrell after many years of selfless service and including transition support of Nicole. Nicole has well settled into the position and has showed her initiative in successfully gaining the funding for the Mobile Support program.
My final thanks goes to my Management Committee which comprises a team of highly skilled and experienced volunteers who provide wise counsel and support for NWYAS in the exercise of its strategic vision and objectives. My particular thanks to Brian as my deputy, Holly as the treasurer, Bec as secretary and Judy and Jim who hang in there after so many years of long service to NWYAS.
NWYAS exists to help young people in the area of homelessness. Like so many things in life it is a pity there is no “silver bullet” which offers a solution for homelessness. Personally, I find it very sobering that when one carries out an internet search for homelessness, the resulting references seem endless. It seems hard to accept that leadership in so many advanced countries appears so blind and unresponsive to the “cancer of homelessness”. NWYAS plays a small but important part of a wider strategy dealing with homelessness. We must remain well focussed on performance outcomes and at the same time work within the wider community of support agencies and in partnership with government at all levels, to foster continued and appropriate resourcing of national and state based strategies for homelessness.
Robert Granger
PRESIDENT
