Six youth-focused ideas are being brought to life in Burnie, thanks to $42,000 in grants awarded by FRRR through the FRRR ABC Takeover Youth Catalyst Grants program.
The grants will enable six community organisations to partner with young changemakers on projects that will help tackle issues that matter most to Burnie’s young people, including understanding workplace rights, mental health education, inclusive events and connecting with community and the environment.
The projects were co-designed as part of the ABC Takeover Burnie Youth Summit, which was held in September. The Summit, a collaboration between ABC, Tasmania Community Fund, FRRR and the Australian Government’s Office for Youth, saw 34 students from across the region’s secondary schools share their stories, explore local challenges and co-design solutions to address these issues.
Students had an opportunity to connect with representatives from the six grant recipient organisations, community leaders, youth networks, politicians and media professionals, learning practical skills to help harness their ideas for real community impact.
Deb Samuels, FRRR’s People Portfolio Lead, said the FRRR team was inspired by the passion that Burnie students have for their community and how eager they are to make every person, both young and old, feel welcomed and accepted.
“It was such a joy to be part of the Summit and spend time with these young people. The future of Burnie is bright!” Ms Samuels said.
“The Summit also reminded us of why it’s important to take the time to listen to young people. It’s only by asking questions and listening to their answers that we can understand the issues that are affecting local youth. Only then that we can really empower them to look for solutions and support them to make these changes.
“It’s rewarding to see local organisations ready to step up and do just that – listen – and then back the young people and their ideas. We’re thrilled to be able to fund these meaningful projects to make Burnie a stronger and more vibrant place for young people to live, learn, work and play.
“We look forward to seeing how these young changemakers work with the organisations and their communities to bring their ideas to life,” Ms Samuels said.
Justin Stevens, ABC Director of News, said the Takeover program gives students the chance to share their stories, in their own words, and talk about the issues that are unique to youth in their community.
“The Burnie Summit gave students the opportunity to not only talk about current challenges in their community, but it also gave them a platform brainstorm ways to overcome these issues,” Mr Stevens said.
“The ideas that emerged from the Summit reflect the insight, innovation and drive of Burnie’s young people.
“Burnie has embraced the Takeover program and it’s exciting to see what they have and will achieve,” Mr Stevens said.
The grants are generously co-funded by Tasmania Community Foundation, Bunnings Warehouse, and the Sally Foundation.
Community groups or businesses interested in supporting future initiatives are encouraged to get in touch.
The full list of grant recipients and their projects are below.
| Organisation | Project | Location | Grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beacon Foundation | Do You Know Your Work Rights? Prepare young people for work through dynamic physical and digital bulletin boards that connect youth with their workplace rights and safe entry-level career opportunities. | Burnie, TAS | $7,000 |
| RDA Tasmania | Connecting North West Foster belonging and memory-making through a program that welcomes newcomers to local events including drives, footy games, rodeos and fireside catchups. | Burnie, TAS | $7,000 |
| Youth Family and Community Connection | Wild About Burnie Encourage locals to connect with Burnie’s unique natural spaces with a series of gamified public space activities designed by young people and created alongside community. | Burnie, TAS | $7,000 |
| THEIRS Inc | The Monthly Mix: A Social Shuffle Foster intergenerational connections through social skill-sharing workshops coordinated by young people including cooking, gardening, sewing and tech. | Burnie, TAS | $7,000 |
| Cornerstone Youth Services | Supportlink Youth Create a series of supportive and empowering resources and goodie bags centring young people’s lived experience for youth engaging in mental health services for the first time. | Burnie, TAS | $7,000 |
| Reclink | Empowering Activity Through Inclusivity Deliver a series of ‘come and try’ days for accessible physical activities that foster the spirit of a community, not a club. | Burnie, TAS | $7,000 |