Gulf Youth & Community Service

07/07/2026

Big Rivers BMX Trip 🏍️

While these guys were a little too young to attend the Barunga Festival, we wanted to recognise and reward their great school attendance with a special weekend away.

Our GYCS team took them to Katherine for an action-packed sports trip, where they had the opportunity to ride with the Big Rivers BMX Club and enjoy activities at The Y NT Sports Centre. It was a weekend full of fun, new experiences and confidence-building.

Living in a remote community means opportunities like these don't come along every day. That's why we're committed to creating experiences that inspire our young people, reward positive behaviour, and encourage them to keep making great choices.

A huge thank you to the McArthur River Mine Community Benefits Trust for supporting youth sports trips for the young people of Borroloola. Your support helps make opportunities like this possible.

11/06/2026

Thanks for sharing with our Child and Family Centre team!

08/06/2026

We have just returned from another successful Barunga Festival – our third year in a row attending this incredible event!

This year we proudly took a men's AFL team, women's softball team, and both men's and women's basketball teams. Looking fresh in our new Gulf Carpentaria Crocs uniforms, all teams represented Borroloola with pride and sportsmanship throughout the weekend.

A huge congratulations to our women's softball team for finishing runners-up, and an extra special shout-out to our very own Kylie Foster, who was awarded MVP of the tournament – an outstanding achievement!

We are so proud of everyone who came along this year. We had a really young group in both basketball and AFL, and it was great to see them get out there, have a go, support each other and enjoy the experience. The weekend was all about participation, teamwork and having fun, and we're excited to keep building on that in the years ahead.

The weekend wasn't just about sport. We were also lucky enough to watch our own Barno perform with his band, High Tide, who made it through to the finals of the Battle of the Bands. Well done! So much fun to watch!

A weekend like this would not be possible without the support of so many people and organisations. A huge thank you to:

• The GYCS staff who helped cook meals, set up camp, organise teams and support our players throughout the weekend.
• Roper Gulf Regional Council for purchasing everyone's festival entry tickets.
• NIAA for funding support through the IYCC Grant.
• McArthur River Mine Community Benefits Trust and Redimart for sponsoring our new Gulf Carpentaria Crocs jerseys. The teams looked fantastic, and we greatly appreciate your support.
• Miss Mel from Borroloola School for generously volunteering her time coaching the basketball.
• Fleur Dawkins for sharing her softball expertise and support with the softball team.
• Grand Touring Charter Bus Company for getting us there safely.
• C and R Construction for the use of the trailer.
• Shane Brown for taking the time to cook two delicious dinners for the group.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making the trip such a success. The Barunga Festival continues to be a highlight of the year for Borroloola, bringing together sport, culture, music and community. We are already looking forward to next year!

🏆💚🐊 Well done to all players, coaches, volunteers and supporters on another fantastic Barunga Festival!

02/06/2026

Thanks for the feature Territory Q Magazine 🙌🏼

For many young people growing up in Borroloola and Robinson River, access to organised activities, mentoring and safe places to gather has long been limited.

Through long-term community investment from McArthur River Mine Community Benefits Trust and strong partnerships with local organisations and government, Gulf Youth & Community Service (GYCS) is creating new opportunities for young people across the region supporting wellbeing, culture, sport and life skills.

Through the McArthur River Mine Community Benefits Trust (CBT), almost $3 million has been invested since 2023 to establish the program and build the foundations for a sustainable community-led youth service.

Read the full feature in Territory Q: https://territoryq.com.au/supporting-a-new-generation/

Glencore Northern Territory Government

20/05/2026

Great to have you McArthur River Mine Community Benefits Trust! Thank you for the support.

CBT Directors held the May 2026 board meeting yesterday at the newly refurbished GYCS art space at 40 Anyula Street Borroloola. Thank you for hosting us Gulf Youth & Community Service. The CBT purchased this former Aboriginals for Jesus property earlier this year to provide accommodation and activity space for GYCS and have engaged some minor renovations to the house and former church shed in recent months using local suppliers. The space is leased by GYCS to support accommodation for staff and office and activity space whilst the new youth and community precinct is under construction at Jirribilyi - Borroloola Central. Thanks again GYCS for letting us use this great new space for youth and community.

08/05/2026

This week, our team had the opportunity to participate in a valuable Youth Mental Health First Aid workshop delivered by Sudha Coutinha.

The training sparked some great conversations and provided our team with practical tools and strategies to better support the young people involved in our programs. We’re grateful for the opportunity to continue building our knowledge and strengthening the support we provide to our community.

28/04/2026

📖 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 📚

Every Tuesday our staff are working towards their Cert IV in Child, Youth and Family Intervention with Chris from The Bradford Institute. We will all complete the qualification by the end of the year!

27/04/2026

The School Nutrition Program for Robinson River School is well under way. With roads still closed we sent a delivery of food out by plane the other week so GYCS staff Curtisha and Suzanne could start feeding the kids!

27/04/2026

📣 We Want to Hear From You! 📣

The new Borroloola Child & Family Centre is being shaped with community in mind — and your ideas matter.

We’re inviting families, carers, and community members to complete our short survey and share what you would like to see in the new Centre. Your input will help guide the programs, services, and spaces that best support children and families in Borroloola.

Simply scan the QR code below to take part.

Every voice counts — let’s build a Centre that truly reflects our community’s needs and aspirations.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts!

22/04/2026

We’re so excited to bring this space to life for our children, families and community.

Big things are coming, and we can’t wait to share the journey with you!

More updates coming soon…

✨ Watch this space! ✨