Impact Report 2023-2024 - The Y Canberra Region

A better world,
with and for young people.

Meaningful work

Community Wellbeing

Just World

Sustainable planet

President’s Report

This year our local Y Canberra Region organisation celebrated the 180th anniversary of ‘The Y’. The YMCA’s incredible journey commenced on the 6 June 1844, since then, the YMCA movement has grown to deliver social impact in 120 countries around the world. For the first time, this global network of Y associations, are guided by a united Strategy 2030.

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CEO Report

The Y’s Strategy 2030 is bold and purposeful, it spells out what young people care about, and, importantly, that they want a say in shaping their lives and the communities they live in.

My goals as CEO until 2030, are two-fold. Firstly, to ensure ‘The Y’ vision and mission of supporting children and young people is our primary focus. Secondly, to ensure we have a sustainable, contemporary organisation, and ‘beneficiary-focused’ culture to deliver on that promise.

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About our Y

For over 80 years, the Y in Canberra has grown alongside our city here in the Bush Capital. Over that time, we have contributed to our community and offered programs and services spanning from youth centres, accommodation, recreation, camps, early learning, events, and more.

We have merged with our Queanbeyan and surrounding regions to better serve our people, and are part of the YMCA’s global mission to empower young people and communities to build a just, sustainable, equitable and inclusive world where every person can thrive in body, mind and spirit.

The YMCA helps young people to better themselves, to better their communities, and to better their world. It is the oldest and one of the largest youth movements in the world.

Founded in London in 1844, the Y has grown to reach over 65 million people a year across 120+ countries. We have deep roots in communities, decades of experience enabling young people and communities to thrive, and an extensive global network.

With over 90,000 staff, 920,000 volunteers and 12,000 branches worldwide, the Y Canberra Region is part of a meaningful community. Together, we are building a better world, with and for young people.

Inspiring our youngest minds

Children Services

Early Learning is different at the Y. We recognise that the first 1,000 days of a child’s life is critical, and we understand the crucial role that learning, a nurturing community and home environment play in setting a child up for success.

We create real-world environments that allow children to have true experiences. We encourage children to explore and be adaptable to their environment, and we promote community connections and sustainable practices as a core value.

The Y Canberra Region operates 5 Early Learning Centres and 11 Outside Hours School Care Programs, and we have been running children’s programs since the 1970’s.

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Children Services Program

The Y is a proud partner of the Children Services Program, funded by the ACT Government Community Services Directorate.

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3YRO Initiative Program

The 3-year-old initiative offers ACT families two days per week of free Early Childhood Education, with the program designed for children who will benefit from play-based programs.

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3YRO Universal Access Preschool Program

The three-year-old pre-school program provides funding from the ACT Government to deliver free, quality preschool education to children aged three, who are enrolled with the Y Canberra Region.

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Bush Kinder Program (Y Gungahlin Early Learning Centre)

The Y Gungahlin Early Learning Centre has been busy researching, observing, planning and gathering resources for preschool children to engage in a Bush Kindy Program.

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Celebrating Children’s Voices

At the Y, we believe that children and young people should feel empowered “to have a voice and be heard in matters and decisions that affect them”.

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Early Learning Partnerships

Our Belconnen Early Learning Centre has strong philosophies around community connection, and engages in several activities and opportunities to allow the children to explore and grow both within and outside the centre.

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18

tertiary placements and traineeships through ELC

eight hundred and ninety six

children enrolled in Early Learning Centres

174,042

attendances at OSHC and Vacation Care

Learn more about Before and After School Care, and Vacation Care Programs

sixty two

children from vulnerable families receiving placements in Early Learning

1,551

families supported with Before and After School Care, and Vacation Care

Keeping active

Health & Wellbeing

Our Health and Wellbeing programs are focused on providing young people in the Canberra Region with a supportive environment to focus on their health in a fun, inclusive environment that provides leadership and mentoring opportunities.

The Y Canberra Region Health and Wellbeing programs focus on preventative health, inclusion and social support for children and young people in the ACT
and NSW regions.

With a particular emphasis on equitable access to play, leisure and recreation as a human right, the Y Canberra Region looks at the wellbeing of the whole mind, body and spirit.

RAID Program

Basketball reaches across the globe and inspires people both on and off the court, and here at the Y Canberra Region, we witness this inspiration with our RAID (Recreational Activities for Intellectual Disabilities) Basketball program, which has been a core program at our Y since 1984.

World Basketball Day

Did you know, the YMCA has a long history with the game of basketball?

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Y Sailing Club

Over the March long weekend, hot air balloons fill the sky in a breathtaking display of colour and wonder. This year, 76 people joined our Y Sailing Club team in the early morning dawn with one of the hottest tickets in town.

Canberra Day Balloon Spectacular

The Canberra Balloon Spectacular is an event we eagerly anticipate each year, and it just keeps getting bigger and better.

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The Y Sailing Club Youth Committee

This year was another great year for the youth at the sailing club we picked up right where we left off increasing in numbers and the events we ran.

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one hundred eight

participants at the RAID Program

RAID Basketball

52

volunteers and staff part of the RAID Program

RAID Basketball

208

participants across the Paddle Hub and Sailing Club

Paddle Hub and Sailing Club

one hundred thirteen

Sailing Club Members

Paddle Hub and Sailing Club

Stay local

Accommodation

Each year, the Canberra Region welcomes over 160,000
students and young people to the ACT. Our Y student accommodation is a unique social enterprise, providing memorable, immersive
student experiences.

Visiting Canberra is an important time and experience in young people’s lives as they learn about democracy, culture, science and the natural environment. And importantly, find their unique youth voice.

We offer two student accommodation sites – Leumeah Lodge in Gold Creek, and Bush Capital Lodge in O’Connor – that are accredited with an Exceeding Safeguarding rating through ACF, and provide the opportunity to shape young people’s experience at school camp.

13,320

people stayed at Leumeah Lodge

More about Leumeah Lodge

16,154

students / young people staying at a Y Canberra Region accommodation lodge

Over two hundred and sixty

groups and schools staying at the lodges

5,424

people stayed at Bush Capital Lodge

More about Bush Capital Lodge

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is at the core of our Y association, and the team continuously strives to be the best when the subject is keeping children and young people safe in our programs and in the community.

We are delighted to see those efforts being recognised with an “Excellence” rating after the Australian Childhood Foundation (ACF) reassessed our practices against the Y Safeguarding Children and Young People Licensing Standards in February 2024.

This achievement would not have been possible without the effort, dedication and commitment of our amazing Y People. We know that Safeguarding is a journey, and we are committed to continuing to foster the safest environment at the Y.

566

people trained in Safe Behaviours

Safeguarding Initiatives

Safeguarding Education Sessions

These sessions are run for children and young people, and have been delivered across a vast array of children’s services sites from our Early Learning Centres to Outside Hours School Care Programs. With a strong focus on the “Stay Safe, Tell Someone” Program, exploring the child-friendly resources on hand, and recognising the “safe” people within our community and networks, there have been some incredible conversations and insights from children and young people on how they feel safe at the Y, in their homes and in the community.

Child-Friendly Procedure

We developed a child-friendly version of the Safeguarding Procedure, which was designed and guided by the children and young people – our youngest Y Citizens.
With many designs, comments and consultations, the end result was a rainbow, which can guide children to know the process if they have concerns.

Our People

This year, the Y Canberra Region has:

Launched our first Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan.
Written and implemented an Investigation and Incident Review Policy, a Remote Working Policy, and a Working From Home Policy.
Reviewed and updated Equal Employment Opportunity and Women in the Workplace; our Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Policy; and our Y Staff Children Enrolled at Service Policy
We have continued to maintain our WGEA Compliance.