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Forum for Parents on Gaming

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.

Register

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.

Youth Homelessness Matters Day

Supporting young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness

Youth Homelessness Matters Day on April 20th, raises awareness about youth homelessness and advocates learning about and understanding youth homelessness, stimulates debate for change and advocates to support those who are currently experiencing homelessness.

Current stats:

Current statistics show, that on any given night, around 28,000 young people do not have a bed of their own to sleep in, they might be couch-surfing with mates, squeezing into crisis accommodation or sleeping on the streets – some people might not even recognise themselves they are indeed homeless.

From their information in the 2016 Census the ABS reported: On any given night in Australia 116,427 Australians are homeless. 27,680 of these are young people aged 12-24 years.

Regardless of what we might think, young people become homeless almost always due to no fault of their own. The main causes are family breakdown, domestic and family violence and the ongoing housing crisis.

The Youth Homelessness Matters Day campaign for 2022:

Their stories

Many of the young people who come to us have experienced multiple challenges in their short, young lives and we provide the support they need to reach their full potential.

At Burdekin, we believe every young person has the right to a life that offers opportunities to fulfil their potential. Many of our young people have gone on to have happy, healthy and successful lives because we were able to provide them with the support that they needed. You can read some of the stories from our young people here.

You can support our work in many different ways – in kind, in cash and in time. 

Make a donation:

Annual Charity Golf Day – May 2022

Sponsorship opportunities available for our Annual Charity Golf Day

As many of you know – much of our fundraising is done through events. Some we run ourselves and some are organised by others for us. These events are usually face-to-face and, of course, because of the pandemic these traditional formats collapsed leaving us to find other ways of seeking donations. Not ideal but our supporters rallied and helped us through a challenging 2 years. All the while we grew as an organisation to meet the growing demand for our services.

Recently, due to bad weather, we had to once again postpone our Golf Day, so please throw your full support behind our 3rd and what will hopefully be the final date – 17th May 2022. Third time lucky!

People of all ages and skill level are welcome to can attend. Whether you belong to one of our business associates, partner organisations or are an individual friend of Burdekin – anyone who is up for an enjoyable day for a good cause is welcome! And whilst the aim of the event is to celebrate our achievements and our connections to the community it is also a day for conversations, to spark ideas and thoughts whilst having fun and doing some good. You can’t beat good in-person fun on the green! Get on board as a sponsor or player.

View our sponsorship opportunities here, you might also like to see who else is sponsoring the event here or download your invitation.

If you have any questions, please email: kellie.pethybridge@burdekin.org.au or phone: 02 8976 1777.

Below are photos from past events below so you can see what to expect:

Connecting the Dots

Join us for screenings on the Northern Beaches

Community Capital Foundation presents Connecting the Dots screenings and panel discussion events.

We have partnered with Community Capital Foundation and other local organisations for something very important to us – screenings of the documentary film Connecting the Dots by award-winning Canadian film director Noemi Weis, as well as post screening panel discussions.

Discussions will include mental health experts, local organisations and youth representatives to talk about how we can collectively improve youth mental health in 2022.

You can view screenings of Connecting the Dots on:

Watch the trailer

About Connecting the Dots

Connecting the Dots is the first feature documentary of its kind to offer a raw and inteimate look at youth mental health from a global youth perspective.


“The film gives a voice to our future leaders, who, through sharing their lived experience- articulate the problems and potential solutions. Community Capital Foundation will then work directly with Northern Sydney’s youth to identify ideas needing community support. In addition, we’re asking local individuals and businesses to contribute to our Youth Impact Fund for a giving program this year,” says the Foundation’s manager, Jessie Williams

Youth Mental Health Crisis

Late last year, self-harm and suicidal ideation were up 31 per cent for children and teenagers compared with 2020, according to NSW Government’s Health report.

With mental health charities doing it tough and rising rates of youth struggling, Community Capital Foundation want to shift the dial through a campaign to increase awareness, identify organisations making a difference and help raise the capital to contribute to our next grants program.

You can help promote Connecting the Dots

Hashtags and links to use – #RaiseYourHand, #ConnectingtheDots, #CCF, #mentalhealth #youthmentalhealth

Community Capital Foundation media release

Connect with Facebook and Instagram

About Community Capital Foundation

Community Capital Foundation is an initiative by local Northern Beaches organisation, Community Care Northern Beaches. We support our communities through grant-giving and community-building initiatives that positively impact our local backyard. Since 2019, we have donated $111,000 to programs eradicating Indigenous youth disadvantage, building male youth resilience and respect for themselves and others, and programs supporting victims of domestic violence, plus several others.

“When a flower doesn’t grow, you change the environment around it. As communities, we need to learn how to create safe and empowering spaces for young people to achieve their best mental health,” says Community Capital Foundation’s Youth Ambassador, Emily Unity.

To learn more, contact Jessie Williams.
Email: jessie@communitycapitalfoundation.com.au
Phone: +61 452 627 257



United We Shine – Mardi Gras Fair

Community events with Burdekin

The Mardi Gras Fair was amazing. Thank you for taking the time to come to our stall and ask about our work. We appreciate it.

There was an incredible turnout to Victoria Park with organisers estimating about 35,000 visitors.

United we certainly do shine!

Over the course of the day our colourful stall and friendly team attracted lots of people asking questions about what we do and how we do it. We ended up with a large number of people expressing interest in fostering or volunteering with us – the positive reaction exceeded our expectations.

Thank you to our staff who worked hard to create the stall. You will see more of us at community events like this one – keep a look out!

We are always here to answer questions, please do get in touch anytime:

Become a Burdekin Foster Carer, Foster Care FAQs, Information Sessions.

Volunteer, Skilled Volunteers, Current Volunteer Vacancies

If you would like to speak to someone, please email: carer@burdekin.org.au or phone Sarah or Michelle on:  02 8976 1777

We acknowledge the Aboriginal people of the Cadigal and Gayamaygal Clans. We acknowledge the Country on which we live, work, and gather as being Aboriginal land.

We acknowledge the lands, waterways and skies that are connected to Aboriginal people. We honour them and pay our deepest respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

We respect their rightful place within our communities, and we value their ancient cultural knowledge and practices.

Aboriginal Flag
Torres Straight Island Flag

We deeply respect that this will always be Aboriginal land and we will honour and follow the first peoples’ values in caring for the Country and for preserving their culture.

We deeply value that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the oldest living culture in the world and we will continue to work with their peoples and communities to ensure their cultures endure and remain strong.