Support our young people today
Make a donation
Your donation helps us to provide beyond the essentials, go the extra mile and support the young people in our care.
*All cash donations are tax-deductible
and received with appreciation.
Make a donation
Your donation helps us to provide beyond the essentials, go the extra mile and support the young people in our care.
*All cash donations are tax-deductible
and received with appreciation.
Why do we raise funds?
It is an unfortunate fact: children and young people in Sydney experience neglect and abuse.
Family violence, or other forms of violence and abuse, are some of the reasons young people seek homelessness support, according to Homelessness Australia.
Burdekin believes that every child and young person deserves access to housing, education, health care, clothing, and items beyond the basics - birthday presents, educational tutoring, swimming lessons, driving lessons, participation in sports teams, and similar experiences to what we may have enjoyed while growing up.
Burdekin needs your help
The NSW state government provides essential funding.
Burdekin needs supporters, champions and advocates in our community to assist us in providing beyond the essentials, so that we can continue to provide our full continuum of care with the aim to end youth homelessness.
Youth Homelessness Matters Day:
April 16, 2025
We need your help to provide young people with safe housing.
Youth Homelessness Matters Day:
April 16, 2025
We need your help to provide young people with safe housing.
What is Youth Homelessness Matters Day?
On Wednesday, April 16, we recognise Youth Homelessness Matters Day — a day to raise awareness and encourage public discussion about child and youth homelessness. The national campaign is led by Yfoundations, the peak NSW body for youth homelessness. Burdekin is a member of Yfoundations.
43,226 children and young people (under 25 years of age) presented to a homelessness service seeking help during 2023-2024 and half were turned away due to a lack of resources (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2024, Specialist Homelessness Services Annual Report 2023-24.)
How homelessness is defined
The Australian Bureau of Statistics categorises homelessness into six operational groups:
Why are young people homeless?
The reality of youth homelessness in Australia
Half the young people nationally, who tried to get a bed in a crisis refuge in 2023/24 were turned away as services couldn’t accommodate them.
43,226 children and young people (under 25 years of age) presented alone to a specialist homelessness service in 2024.
The highest rate of homelessness in 2021 was among 19-24-year-olds (91 per 10,000) and 25-34-year-olds (70 per 10,000). Census 2021.
Young females were more likely than males to be in supported accommodation for the homeless (26.6% vs. 20.3%) and staying temporarily with other households (9.9% vs. 8.5%). Census 2021.
Young males were more likely than females to be living in improvised dwellings, tents, or sleeping out (2.3% vs. 2.0%), living in boarding houses (15% vs. 10.4%), and living in severely crowded dwellings (52% vs. 49.1%). Census 2021.
How can you help make a difference?
Make a donation to Burdekin
Are you inspired by the goals of Youth Homelessness Matters Day? Make a donation today to support and empower vulnerable young people.
Consider workplace giving
Donate just an hour of your pay to Burdekin. Your pre-tax donation goes further to support young people who are homeless or at risk.
Yfoundation’s recommendations to the Federal Government:
What else can you do?
Sign the petition
Yfoundations is calling on the state and federal governments to make ending youth homelessness a national priority by developing a targeted plan and funding the services needed to achieve this objective.
Write to your MP
Advocate for youth homelessness by writing to your local Member of Parliament. Request specific action, such as:
> Making a public statement
> Raising the issue with colleagues and ministers
> Attending youth homelessness events
> Engaging with media
Need help drafting a letter to your MP?
Use this great MP Letter Writing Guide produced by the Council to Homeless Persons.
Together, we can end youth homelessness.
Our impact
Over the past year, 89% of children who left Burdekin’s care returned to their families. Of this group, 88% remained enrolled in education.
Our Education Program has resulted in 75% of children and young people returning to school or commencing TAFE or other education pathways. A life changing outcome.
On any given night, Burdekin houses 127 children and young people across the Northern Sydney region and Inner West Sydney.
We directly support a further 45 children, young people, and their families a year through intervention strategies aimed at preventing youth homelessness, offering practical and emotional support to strengthen family relationships, manage stress, reduce conflict and improve communication.
Beaches Youth Hub – a collaboration of support services and a community service destination for young people – reached around 250 young people each week in the Pittwater region of Sydney, and provided close to 250 counselling sessions to young people over the 2023/24 financial year.
In 2023, 234 young people were supported by Burdekin’s Youth Housing Program. Our Youth Housing Program is for young people aged 16-24 who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness and need a safe place to find their feet.
Our impact
Over the past year, 89% of children who left Burdekin’s care returned to their families. Of this group, 88% remained enrolled in education.
Our Education Program has resulted in 75% of children and young people returning to school or commencing TAFE or other education pathways. A life changing outcome.
On any given night, Burdekin houses 127 children and young people across the Northern Sydney region and Inner West Sydney.
We directly support a further 45 children, young people, and their families a year through intervention strategies aimed at preventing youth homelessness, offering practical and emotional support to strengthen family relationships, manage stress, reduce conflict and improve communication.
Beaches Youth Hub – a collaboration of support services and a community service destination for young people – reached around 250 young people each week in the Pittwater region of Sydney, and provided close to 250 counselling sessions to young people over the 2023/24 financial year.
In 2023, 234 young people were supported by Burdekin’s Youth Housing Program. Our Youth Housing Program is for young people aged 16-24 who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness and need a safe place to find their feet.
Young people were supported by Burdekin’s Youth Housing Program over the 2023/24 financial year.
Is the average age of a young person in Youth Housing.
Received referrals for Youth Housing over the 2023/24 financial year.
Support us
The NSW State Government provides funding for many of our services so we can provide shelter, food, clothing, pocket money, phone credit and other essential items to our young people.
We require additional funding for the programs below to go the extra mile and complement Government funded services.
Camp Burdekin
We take approximately 16 young people away for two to three nights on camp to give them the chance to have a laugh and find joy in the world.
When we take young people out of their natural environment, they can open their minds to view the world and their place in it in very different ways. Often, they can dream and think big and see themselves as successful individuals.
Youth Support Fund
This fund helps young people with their additional expenses, like textbooks, computers, educational courses and uniforms.
Grants will be assessed by our Management Committee regularly and the funds donated will be solely dedicated to supporting young people in their endeavour to become independent.
Youth Development Fund
The aim of this fund is to be responsive to the needs of our young people by funding several initiatives offered by Burdekin to allow our young people to live their best lives.
Such initiatives include therapeutic support, housing assistance, Camp Burdekin, and the Youth Support Fund.
How to give
Thank you for supporting our work!
When you contribute you make a dramatic difference in the lives of children and young people in need. We greatly appreciate all donations – in kind, in cash and in time, and cash donations are fully tax-deductible.
You can donate in different ways...
Online credit card
charitable donations
Our secure payment portal accepts all major credit cards. Please click the donate button and you will be able to use most major credit cards to make an online donation.
You can make a one-off donation or a regular, recurring donation on a weekly or monthly basis.
No amount is too small (or too big). It all adds up!
In-kind and pro bono service
business donations
Donations in-kind or pro bono service donations can come in the form of:
- Gift card donations,
- Food parcels,
- Donations of educational materials,
- Donating recreation activities or tickets to events,
- Set-up packs when young people are living independently,
- Clothing donations,
- Donations of furniture for our youth housing program
- Volunteers to help young people gain driver’s licences,
- Professional services etc.
Where does the money go?
We require additional funding for our programs mentioned above to go the extra mile and complement government funded services.
Your donations may be used for...
$40
a birthday present for a young person
$70
a driving lesson
$80
monthly internet access to assist with education
$100
a move-in pack: kettle, toaster, plates & cutlery
$150
stationery for a child at school
$200
food for a teenager for a week
$750
a laptop for a young mum to study online whilst caring for her child
$1000
helping a young person relocate to independent living
$1000
a fridge and washing machine for a young person setting up
$1200
an internet connection for an entire year in one of our homes
$3500
furniture & white goods to fit out one flat for our young people
$4500
provides re-carpeting of a 2-bedroom unit for our young people
$5000
contributes to university fees and textbooks for one young person
$15,000
provides five essential workshops for up to 20 young people run by professionals about Drugs and Alcohol, employability skills, parenting strategies, behaviour modification and health and well-being that will equip young people with the necessary life skills to become productive members of the community
$20,000
pays for a car, to assist with activities and moving houses for young people
$25,000
pays for innovative programs that reach 30 vulnerable young people & their families at risk of disengagement from school & family breakdown which is the number one contributor to youth homelessness in Sydney
Stronger, better, and more capable – together.
