Other Newsletter Reads
The initiatives of our partners - despite the difficulties of 2020 - and the sustainable, positive impacts they are creating are outcomes we can all be proud of. They demonstrate the clear benefits of longterm, flexible partnerships based on trust and built on respect.
Mental wellbeing:
As at the end of 2020, more than 2 million people across Australia have been touched by the "Are They Triple OK?" Campaign developed by R U OK? – demonstrating the capacity we all have to reach out to others who may be struggling with life. www.ruok.org.au
In regional NSW communities batyr worked with close to 500 school children and young adults to help communities "smash the stigma" around talking openly about early stage mental illness, and to encourage help seeking behaviour (currently only 2 out of 5 young people actively look for support). www.batyr.com.au
More than 3 million young people between 13 - 25 accessed the online services offered by ReachOut in 2020, with visitation and engagement during the year helping them to navigate issues of concern such as the drought / COVID isolation / exam stress / finances / job seeking worries. reachout.com/
Domestic violence and sexual abuse
Victims of domestic and sexual abuse were provided with legal advice and support by the Full Stop Foundation (FSF), with more than 25 formal submissions made to state and commonwealth inquiries - “bringing the voice of the victim to the table” to legislate change and amend policy.
One of the core FSF training modules - “Responding with Compassion” - has been translated into an online version with our support, allowing ease of access and continued training despite restrictions around face-to-face delivery. www.fullstopfoundation.org.au
Disadvantaged children
In the Hunter Valley - the epicentre of Australia's ICE epidemic – almost 300 children abandoned or orphaned as a result of their parents’ drug abuse received extensive online support from Mirabel’s counsellors offering help with home, school, friends, family and how to keep having fun. Their kinship carers – often grandparents with little exposure to online platforms – were also been guided as they negotiated the ongoing demands of COVID-19 social isolation and disruption. www.mirabelfoundation.org.au
Yalari’s 2020 Orientation Camp at the Gold Coast brought ninety Year 7 and Year 8 Indigenous scholarship students together from the most remote parts of the country for their Camp - guiding them with important lessons and learnings at the start of their exciting yet daunting journey into boarding school. www.yalari.org
In Western Sydney twenty Year 9 teenage girls and boys from acutely disadvantaged backgrounds were given the opportunity by the Raise Foundation to access intensive, structured mentoring services, which were carefully reviewed and adapted for successful online delivery. www.raise.org.au/
Medical research:
An updated Cryostat - a highly specialised piece of equipment – was purchased by CMRI with our support, helping world leading researchers in the Institute’s Gene Therapy Research Unit. The Cryostat maintains tissue samples at low cryogenic temperatures, in this instance enabling primary human liver cells to be stored and sliced into fine sections for detailed analysis. www.cmrijeansforgenes.org.au
A highly complex research project was initiated in Western Australia by researchers at AARF, aiming to understand early cell changes at the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Knowing the first effects on cells is crucial to helping find treatments and ultimately a cure, and first signs were promising with 95% of the 1,100 tissue samples categorised as “gold standard” and suitable for further research. www.alzheimers.com.au/
COVID-19:
By the end of the 2020 school year, more than 1,700 schools had adopted a newly created national "Kindness Curriculum" developed by the Kindness Factory - embedding principles of kindness and human decency into the everyday actions of primary school aged children. As we all face the frustrations and uncertainties of living with Coronavirus into the future, ensuring that children are as well equipped as they can be to deal with the virus’ ongoing challenges is critical. https://kindnessfactory.com
