21,044
student groups staying at the Y
The Y Canberra Region
2024-2025 Impact Report
Accommodation
Health & Wellbeing
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.
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Group Student Accommodation
Did you know, the YMCA has a long history with the game of basketball?
National Capital Educational Tourism Project Partnership
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.
Excellence in Food Service
Our accommodation sites continue to set a high standard in food service, with consistently positive feedback from students, staff, and visiting groups.
Group Student Accommodation
In 2025, our student accommodation team proudly received a commendation across 3.5 Accommodation Awards, marking our return to the awards program after several years of absence. This achievement reflects not only the growth of our accommodation services and also the collective effort of our staff, students, and local suppliers/partners.
The commendation acknowledges the significant progress we have made in:
- Developing Our People – Investing in training, leadership, and professional development to ensure our team delivers exceptional service.
- Reviewing and Enhancing Our Product – Continually improving facilities and services to align with student needs and industry expectations.
- Elevating Customer Service – Deepening our understanding of the student experience and embedding a culture of safeguarding, responsiveness, and quality.
- Strengthening Supplier Partnerships – Working more closely with our suppliers to ensure consistency, sustainability, and value across our operations.
This recognition underscores our commitment to embedding a democratic focus through student development. By empowering students to have a voice in shaping their experience, we are building accommodation that is more inclusive, responsive, and socially impactful. Our continued focus on quality, collaboration, and community outcomes positions us as a leader in student accommodation and a driving force for positive social change.
National Capital Educational Tourism Project Partnership
The NCETP work hard to promote the Canberra region educational tourism industry as the foremost educational tourism in Australia. They attend conferences around the country to boost school visitation and get in front of principals and lead teachers to promote the nation’s capital for school travel.
The Y Accommodation team worked hard to support them in this goal. We donated accommodation for their annual tour operator’s familiarisation that took place on 2nd – 7th February 2025. As well as assisting the NCETP, this gives our accommodation team the chance to promote our food and services to the visiting tour operators who book 85% of our visiting schools.
We also attended a conference with the NCETP in Queensland where we launched two discount offers to assist struggling schools with getting to Canberra. The distance and hardship discounts were a success, with six schools utilising the offer and aligning with Y strategy 2030 pillars, a just world, enabling students from all economic backgrounds to enjoy the Canberra experience.
Excellence in Food Service
The NCETP work hard to promote the Canberra region educational tourism industry as the foremost educational tourism in Australia. They attend conferences around the country to boost school visitation and get in front of principals and lead teachers to promote the nation’s capital for school travel.
The Y Accommodation team worked hard to support them in this goal. We donated accommodation for their annual tour operator’s familiarisation that took place on 2nd – 7th February 2025. As well as assisting the NCETP, this gives our accommodation team the chance to promote our food and services to the visiting tour operators who book 85% of our visiting schools.
We also attended a conference with the NCETP in Queensland where we launched two discount offers to assist struggling schools with getting to Canberra. The distance and hardship discounts were a success, with six schools utilising the offer and aligning with Y strategy 2030 pillars, a just world, enabling students from all economic backgrounds to enjoy the Canberra experience.