Youth Foundations Victoria (YFV) is an exciting new program that helps young people make a real difference to their communities.
The program is supported and funded by the Victorian Government and the Bendigo Bank.
Basically, YFV is a chance for young people to run a series of grants that put money back into their own local area.
YFV will be established in 15 communities across Victoria. In each location, a group of local young people will come together to form a Young People’s Action Committee (YPAC).
This YPAC will look at the needs of their community, and then make recommendations on funding grants that help other young people to run activities that benefit the community.
Currently there are 15 YFV sites established in:
- Laverton, in Melbourne's West
- Whittington, Newcomb and Thomson, in the Geelong area
- Upper Yarra, in Melbourne's North-east
- Portarlington, Drysdale and Clifton Springs, in the Geelong Area
- West Heidelberg, in the north of Melbourne
- Trafalgar and District, in Gippsland
- Ashwood/Ashburton/Chadstone, in Melbourne's East
- Neerim District in Gippsland
- Boronia, in Melbourne’s East
- Narre Warren South & Hampton Park in Melbourne’s South East
- Cobram and District on the Murray River
- Flemington/Moonee Valley, in Melbourne's West
- Eaglehawk, in the Bendigo area
- Beaufort
- Rosebud West
What sort of projects does YFV fund?
Any sort of project that benefits local communities can be funded by YFV. Examples of funded projects might include:
- Putting together an e-zine to build publishing and web development skills and build networks in the community;
- Developing a local youth landcare group to improve the environment
- Producing a mural on a community centre wall to promote artistic and cultural contribution of young people
A recently funded project in West Heidelberg involved a group of young people creating a T-shirt to promote their local area (see picture).
What do the YPACs do?
Each YPAC is supported by a facilitator and advisory group so that they can:
- Conduct research and community mapping activities
- Help to manage and develop a funding resource
- Assess grant applications and give recommendations to the Youth Foundations Victoria trustees for making grants that will benefit of young people
How to get involved
If you'd like to be part of a YFV group in your area, then you can. It's as easy as contacting the relevant YFV facilitator (see contact details below) and expressing an interest.
If I join YFV, what will I do?
As a member of the YPAC, you will:
- Help to run meetings
- Develop a vision for your local YPAC
- Set the grant making priorities for your community
- Run a grants program
- Review your YPAC's progress
Each YFV location is assisted by a facilitator who recruits young people to join their area's Young People's Action Committee (YPAC) and helps out with co-ordination, administration and that sort of thing.
Contact details for YFV facilitators:
If you're either living or you spend a significant amount in the areas below, you can get in touch with these people to find out how you can get involved.
- 3219 (Whittington, Newcomb and Thomson): Leanne Micallef - phone 0430 211 423, email leanne.micallef@mentorhr.com.au
- Ashwood/Ashburton/Chadstone: Verity Nicholson - phone 9885 7789, email youth.services@craigfc.org.au
- Beaufort: Nicole Petrass – phone 5349 1600, email nicolep@bashs.org.au
- Boronia: Jemma Wood - phone 9298 8373 , email jemma.wood@knox.vic.gov.au
- Cobram and District: Natalie McDonald - phone 5871 9222, email mcdonaldn@moira.vic.gov.au
- Eaglehawk: Erin Griffin - phone 5446 7046, email eringriffin@feo.net.au
- Flemington/Moonee Valley: Leanne Watt - phone 9243 8869, email lwatt@mvcc.vic.gov.au
- Laverton: Erin Young - phone 9369 4866, email erin@lavertoncommunitycentre.com
- Narre Warren South & Hampton Park: Godwin Masuka - phone 9705 6966, email godwinm@sermrc.org.au
- Neerim District: Jennifer Lovatt - phone 5623 3414, email jlovatt@berrystreet.org.au
- North Bellarine (Portarlington, Drysdale and Clifton Springs): Johanna Donkers - phone 5251 2291, email jdonkers@glastonbury.org.au
- Rosebud West: Jeanette Horsley- phone 0448 916 724, email jeanette.horsley@ymca.org.au
- Trafalgar and District: Jennifer Murray - phone 5134 5971, email jmurray@berrystreet.org.au
- Upper Yarra: Zephlyn Neilsen - phone - 0429 778 277 email: yfv@uych.org.au
- West Heidelberg: Andrea Rieniets - phone 9459 1193, email andrea.rieniets@banyule.vic.gov.au
YFV is a partnership between young people, the Department of Planning and Community Development, Bendigo Bank and local communities.
