Barnardos Australia

🌟 In celebration of NAIDOC Week we came together to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

This year’s theme Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud – honours the enduring strength and vitality of First Nations culture – with fire a symbol of connection to Country, to each other, and to the rich tapestry of traditions that define Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

🌟 A Journey towards Empowerment: How Barnardos Helped Mohannad* Secure a Job

Mohannad* is 21 and from Syria. He was suffering anxiety about getting a job and didn’t know where to start. He needed a job to survive and to help support his mum and his brothers and sisters. His dad left the family a long time ago.

Barnardos helped him get the skills he needed to get a job.

We supported Mohannad to enrol in a security course and our youth worker stepped in and spoke to the employer on his behalf. As a result, he was approached by an employer about a job even before finished the course.

He wrote to our youth worker “I want to thank you. I was struggling and didn't know how to find my way, but you helped me a lot.” Mohannad is so happy now– the skills he has learnt have empowered him and his future is bright.

Today we celebrate World Youth Skills Day which recognises the importance of empowering young people with skills for employment.

*Names changed to protect privacy

🏆 Staff Spotlight: Meet Sue! 👋

Hi, I’m Sue and I started at Barnardos in 1996 as a casual admin support. I was made permanent part time in Shellharbour arcade working alongside Kerry Moore, Jan Williams, Maria Corsiglia, Sarah Beale, Patricia Sirons, Margaret Wikie. We then moved to the South Coast Children’s Centre where I have been in my current role, Manager Program Support since 2014.

The most rewarding thing about working at Barnardos is that I love supporting everyone: clients, carers, children and our staff. I see all of it, the good and the bad. But I also see when our families turn the corner, the changes, the good outcomes. It's just the best to see the incredible outcomes that we achieved and how hard the staff work alongside families. I love seeing the changes in children as they grow and heal. As an admin worker, I get to see it all. It is all about smiling, saying “Hello, how can I help?” to everyone!

Here in the South Coast Children’s Family Centre, we are one big community, a second family, my second family. Before coming to Barnardos, I worked in aged care as a nurse’s aide on the Central Coast and then I was busy being a mum, bringing up two boys. As a child who was born in England, I always wanted to travel around the world. I went to the 2006 World Cup in Germany with three other families and that was a great experience. I always wanted to have children and a family, and I did that. I didn’t expect the rollercoaster which was when my first son was born premature at 26 weeks in 1983. Fortunately, today he is a healthy strong man, but at the time that was very challenging.

In the whole 29 years with Barnardos, I have seen different systems come and the change is good. Barnardos has always been open to change and able to adapt to be at the top and I love how innovative the organisation is. During my time with Barnardos I have made significant lifetime friendships, people come and go but some of the amazing women I have met will remain in my life forever. The support, the encouragement, the opportunity to grow are what keep me here, they are the reasons why I have been with Barnardos for 29 years.

💚 Building a Brighter Future: Cindy and Her Brothers' Transformation

Eighteen-year-old Cindy* was caring for her two teenage brothers after their father had died. Her mother was not around due to addiction. Her brothers, Jim* and David*, relied on her for all their meals, household maintenance and education support. Jim, who was in his early teens, needed additional support in relation to his Autism and select mutism. Both Jim and David had poor school attendance. Cindy was struggling to pay the rent with the money from her part time job. The family was at risk of homelessness.

Joanne*, Barnardos case manager, came to support the family. She worked with Cindy to build her independent living skills so she can provide care for her brothers and keep the family together. Joanne educated, modelled, and practiced skills with her until Cindy was confident to perform these skills on her own. She helped Cindy to budget so that she could afford groceries, bills, and other essentials.

Jim needed to be supported in maintaining his medical and disability support appointments, so Joanne arranged meetings with Jim's NDIS providers. She attended these meetings with Cindy until she was confident to arrange these on her own. Joanne also facilitated meetings between the school and Cindy so that they could address her brothers' school attendance. Jim and David were each given a bike so they could travel independently to school. Joanne helped Cindy develop menu plans and cooked with Cindy to ensure the family had healthy meals and lunches for school. Cindy learnt about expectations in maintaining a rental property so that they could remain in their home.

Cindy and Joanne worked together for ten months. By the end of the ten months, the family no longer needed support. Both brothers were engaged with the local Barnardos youth group and continue to have an ongoing relationship with Barnardos should they want additional support. Cindy is independently supporting her brothers with their education, health and basic needs and the siblings were able to remain together having learnt new skills and built a greater support network. Cindy now has recommenced studying and has a part-time job. The future is now looking much brighter for Cindy and her brothers.

*Names changed to protect privacy

Its NAIDOC Week, when we celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth.

This year’s theme Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud – honours the enduring strength and vitality of First Nations culture – with fire a symbol of connection to Country, to each other, and to the rich tapestry of traditions that define Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

🙌 Building Confidence: Christian's Story of Transformation

Feeling anxious and lost in the crowd, Christian* was struggling to engage at school. He found it hard to concentrate, would sit alone at lunch and often refused to go to class. Sadly, his little world had been turned upside down after experiencing family violence and neglect.

Christian was referred to our mentoring program last year to help with his delayed learning due to long-term absence from school and his traumatic start to life. With support from his dad and his school psychologist, we created a circle of trust for Christian where he could receive the support he needed to thrive – and simply enjoy being a kid.

We matched Christian with a kind and patient volunteer mentor to help with his schoolwork and provide him with emotional support. Christian was very keen to join our mentoring program in the hope that it would make his time at school a little easier and less stressful.

Fast forward 10 months and Christian is flourishing! His mentor visits each week for 1 ½ hours and they go through any specific homework he may have, such as spelling, pronunciation, and sight words that the teacher sends home. Christian’s reading has significantly improved, and he has become more confident in tackling math problems. Christian has reported that he gets along well with his mentor and likes doing the sessions with him. He said that he “feels a little more
comfortable at school reading in class.”

His mentor has been making the sessions fun and interesting, using games and activities to develop trust and friendship with Christian. He has also found that breaking up the schoolwork helps with Christian’s focus, so they spend some time playing outside.

Our mentoring program has also provided Christian with a Chromebook so he can access the internet and online schoolwork from home. This has been extremely positive, and his mentor has said that they use the Chromebook at every session.

We are so proud of Christian and the progress he has made on his path to healing. Together with his mentor, they are hoping to increase the number of days that they meet so Christian can continue to develop his love of learning and possess the tools to reach his full potential at school.

*Names changed to protect privacy

Housing is a child protection issue.

🌍🤝 Today is and we share the story of one brave mother overcoming significant barriers she faced after arriving alone in a foreign land to building a brighter future for her son.

Bahar* arrived in Australia from Afghanistan as an Asylum Seeker. She was 30 weeks pregnant and had been sexually assaulted in her home country. Isolated and vulnerable, she was highly anxious about the birth of her baby as she didn’t speak English or have any support in Australia.

Barnardos stepped in to provide accommodation, and food hampers, along with helping prepare for the arrival of her baby. We also helped with legal issues that were difficult due to the language barrier. Given her stressful situation, Bahar* experienced anxiety and attended counselling at Barnardos to work on her mental health.

Following a short labour, Bahar* welcomed a healthy baby boy she named Taleb*. After settling into motherhood, Bahar* was eager to advance her education and skills. With the help of Barnardos, she obtained a driver’s license and enrolled in a bookkeeping course at TAFE.

Thanks to Barnardos support, Bahar* has begun to feel safer and more optimistic, with a foundation upon which to build a stable future for herself and her son.

👏 To all those who work to keep children and young people safe, especially our Barnardos staff and volunteers, this Working with Children Week we say THANK YOU! Thank you for your compassion and all your amazing work to ensure their wellbeing.

Reflecting upon the theme ‘families and communities are informed and involved’, we know your work extends beyond children and young people. It involves engaging with families and communities, including them in important decision-making and informing them about child-safety practices, because together we can build a brighter and safer future for generations to come. Keep up the good work 💚

🌟 Spotlight: Penrith Children's Family Centre

Since 1984, the Penrith Children’s Family Centre has been a cornerstone of support and care in the community. From early intervention and parenting workshops to youth support and homelessness services, each program has been tailored to meet the diverse needs of families across the Penrith and Hawkesbury Council areas, and other parts of Western Sydney

Thanks to our dedicated staff, during COVID-19 we proudly ran a food pantry, helping families access essential supplies when they needed it most. Our aim has always been to create a ripple effect of community support.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to expand our youth services and open a new outreach office in Katoomba, extending our reach even further. We are committed to continuing our mission of empowering families and supporting our community.

Discover more about our centres, impact, and services by visiting our website: https://lnkd.in/f4My9QS

Thank you to our coffee business friends for their support in helping Barnardos recruit more local foster carers in Illawarra, Sydney, Western Sydney, Western NSW, Central Coast and Hunter region. 💚

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☕ Barista King (Wollongong), Earnest Arthur (Kiama), NBA, Millthorpe Providore (Millthorpe), Paperboy Expresso (Dudley), Hunter Coffee Van (Broadmeadow) Mount Kembla Village Hotel, Swell Coffee, RawR Cafe, Tazzina Carnevale, Wikileaks Cafe, Newtown Breakaways FC, Duck Duck Moose.

Staff Spotlight: Meet Angela! 👋

"I love my job! My name is Angela and I’m the Coordinator of Aftercare Support and Records Management.

I provide advice and support to older people who came to Australia as child migrants under the care of Barnardo’s UK. This majority of child migrants (known as Old Boys and Girls) arrived by ship from 1920s to late 1960s. Back then, children were cared for primarily in group homes and were trained to take up jobs mainly in agriculture for boys and domestic service or similar for girls. This is a far cry from the work we do today but forms an important part of our history that is well documented through historical records.

I deal with enquiries for records from a wide range of sources; older people themselves come forward often many decades on from leaving our care, to view their files. We also have enquiries from the children, grandchildren, distant relatives of former child migrants seeking information, as well as other agencies, Government departments and others. I also deal with records enquiries for any child, young person or carer who has left our service, not just child migrants.

I am always so pleased when we can unite somebody with a part of their history by providing them with records of their time in care with us. These records often follow the lives of people way beyond leaving our care. There are details of jobs held and how people are faring generally; of family life etc, sometimes for 10, 15, 20 years on.

I find it incredibly rewarding having direct contact with our Old Boys and Girls. An Old Boy once told me that being a Barnardos Old Boy/Old Girl was a badge of honour that they could identify each other by. People ring me, just to talk about their time with Barnardos. I am pleased to be here to listen and offer whatever support I can. They don’t ask for much. I feel I have helped to restore our relationship and reinforced our message that they are not forgotten. Their lived experiences have shaped the services we provide today."

On Tuesday, Sydney Metro Centre hosted a BBQ to celebrate Reconciliation week.

Over 100 local young people and team members from across our services took part in a BBQ run by our Sydney Youth Services, bag decorating and a photo booth. The afternoon ended with a beautiful yarning circle facilitated by the Yurungai Learning Centre where children and staff discussed what Reconciliation means to them.

We also welcomed Lynette from Reconciliation Australia who was keen to engage with the team and hear more about our work.

Reconciliation Australia

Being a parent is one of the most important roles people undertake in their lives but it's a steep learning curve for all of us.

Barnardos offers programs and playgroups to support parents to strengthen their relationship with their children and inspire their love of learning. A big shout out to the families in the Mini Meez playgroup at our Nyngan Centre in NSW.

This Sorry Day, we recognise the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders children’s connection to family, community and culture.

🚨 ONLY 1 DAY LEFT!

The Peter Pan Op Shop Winter Sale is BACK and is starting tomorrow!
Don’t miss the sale of the season. Grab a designer, vintage or pre-loved bargain, all while helping Australia’s most vulnerable children.

📍 Place: 410 Oxford Street, Paddington - opposite the Paddington Markets

⏰When: Friday 24th - Sunday 26th May
- Friday 10:30am - 5pm
- Saturday 9:00am - 5pm
- Sunday 10:30am - 3pm

Women’s only event.

⚠ The Humanitix ticket link is currently not accessible via Facebook and Instagram ⚠

🔗Please use this link instead for event info and to purchase tickets for tonight's event:
https://www.barnardos.org.au/event/art-show-2024/

Our inaugural Fearlessly Optimistic art show will be happening TONIGHT!

Help us reach our fundraising goal to empower Australia's most vulnerable children and young people.

⏰ Time: 6:00pm
📍 Place: National Art School’s Cellblock Theatre in Darlinghurst
🎨 Featuring both rising talents and renowned artists
🎶 Live music and entertainment

Join us at the Barnardos Art Show for a night of impact, art and inspiration.

Calling all rainbow families! Visit our seminar! We will be hearing from a panel of LGBTQ+ parents and their children, who will share their experiences of BUILDING THEIR FAMILY. Hear the heart-warming stories of often long-awaited parenthood, the challenges our families face and, above all, the love that makes us Rainbow Families.

For community members not able to attend in person, the event will also be live-streamed meaning we can again welcome attendees from all around Australia.

DATE
Sat 25 May 9:30 am to 4:30 pm

LOCATION
Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts
280 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000

The seminar includes educational sessions from leading experts on topics including:

🌈 "Are you ready to become a Parent" from a family psychologist
🌈 Fostering and adoption
🌈 Assisted reproductive technology including IVF and s***m donors
🌈 Surrogacy
🌈 Legal considerations for LGBTQ+ parents

To register for the event, visit:
https://bit.ly/4dHnljX

We hope to see you there!

The theme of this year's National Families Week is Celebrating Family Diversity and Connections.

Barnardos celebrates diversity in our foster care and open adoption families with Jason and Tony's story of how they created their family is just one example of how we strive for permanency and security for children in out of home care.

Click here to read full story: https://rb.gy/kr8k0r

Happy Mother's Day 💚

Wishing all mothers and mother figures a magical day as we celebrate YOU!

Don't miss out on the opportunity to bid for incredible artworks at our online auction.

Bid in the Fearlessly Optimistic Barnardos Art Show's online auction, supporting Australia's vulnerable children and youth.

Featuring both rising talents and renowned artists like Liz Payne, Antoinette Ferwerda, Gemma O'Brien, and Andrew Rovenko, every bid helps fund Barnardos Australia's safety and prevention programs.

Let's support a cause that truly matters.

For more information visit: https://bit.ly/3y8oK30
To participate in the auction click here: https://bit.ly/3QB28yk

Calling all art lovers!

Join us at the Barnardos Art Show 2024 to enjoy live music, gourmet food, beverages, and unique art all while supporting a cause that matters!

Something for every art lover!

🔗 Learn more here: https://rb.gy/kgn0xf