Our Community Ownership Model in the City of Wyndham continues to grow from strength to strength, helping to assist young people in the area and achieving some fantastic results over the last 12 months.
The Consultative Committee has continued to meet bimonthly and includes local service providers, business, police, local government and Open Family Australia staff. A monthly program report is provided to the Consultative Committee by the youth workers who are also present to answer any questions that the Committee have. The reports identified major activities and further opportunities to work with young people in the City of Wyndham.
A major issue identified by the reports has been the lack of a Homeless Refuge for young people in the City and the necessity to relocate them out of the area. This has led to concerns of the effect of dislocation for young people from their environment, and the amount of staff resources that are required in transporting young people in and out of the area. The City of Wyndham staff will use this data in future submissions regarding homelessness in the area.
After feedback was submitted in relation to issues around alcohol and other drugs, and supported by evidence from the City of Wyndham community consultations, Open Family Australia submitted an application to the Department of Health and Ageing for two youth specific Alcohol and Other Drug workers to focus on a prevention and education program. We were informed in June 2008 that our submission was successful and the workers will be recruited to work with the Community Ownership team at the Youth Resource Centre in Hoppers Crossing.
We have been strongly supported by local organisations including the Hoppers Crossing Sports Club Golf Day whose donation of $4,500 was used by the team for emergency accommodation, grocery vouchers, Met tickets and a contribution to a Personal Skills Camp.
Our workers took the City of Wyndham Mayor, Councillor Kim McAliney, out with them one evening to see first hand the work they do. Her feedback was very positive and supportive to the program, and this opportunity will be offered to all the funders of the program. The support of local business, local government and state government has enabled the program to achieve it’s goal of reaching young people who are vulnerable and at risk, and we greatly appreciate their ongoing support in funding the program.
Our 2008/09 Community Ownership partners are:
- Chris Byrne
- Westpoint Ford
- Allen O'Brien
- Racecourse Hotel
- Apex Werribee
- Motor One
- Westside Honda
- Werribee Mazda
- Werribee Nissan
- Hoppers Club
- Nicoll Group
- Werribee Plaza
- Hoppers Crossing Sports Club
- City of Wyndham
- Dept. of Planning & Community Development (Vic)
To become a partner of the Wyndham Community Ownership Model, please contact our Corporate Marketing Executive on 1 300 669 600 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Mum and I were fighting all the time and it wasn’t a happy place for me anymore. I had told Mum that one of her relatives had sexually abused me. I don’t know why but she didn’t believe me. I think that is what hurt me the most – I’m her daughter and she is supposed to protect me but when I finally got up the courage to tell her what had been going on, she turned her back on me.
In 2007, Open Family Australia secured funding through the Property Industry Foundation for the refurbishment and fit out for a mobile youth outreach service for Sydney. Recognising that Sydney's CBD is well catered for by other agencies, Open Family Australia decided to launch this service into Sydney's western suburbs, frequenting hot spots in the Warwick Farm, Liverpool and Fairfield regions. 
The Melbourne Chatterbox operates three nights a week in Melbourne's CBD and inner suburbs. The service is manned by a team of volunteers headed up by Open Family Australia's Volunteer Coordinator and Chatterbox Volunteer Committee. The service has been operational in Melbourne since 2002 and is proudly supported by Cabrini Health, the Tattersalls Foundation and PFD Foods.
Our recycled boutique stocks a large range of quality women's, men's and children's clothing and accessories as well as books and bric 'a' brac.
Open Family Australia works in Victoria and NSW, providing Outreach support to young people at risk in these communities. 
Assertive Outreach is a model that offers youth focused services to street frequenting young people in the environments where they congregate. This model of providing comprehensive ongoing support in all aspects of a young person’s life, rather than just concentrating on one issue is successful, as it provides the young person with support from a worker who is available for all their needs and who also works to integrate them into mainstream society.
