Teen Challenge Tasmania

05/06/2026

02/06/2026

Our Place just got comfier and cooler despite the cold weather. Lounge style ready for students after school today for a safe space, connection and snacks and milkshakes on the house

31/05/2026

What if one hour a week could help change the direction of a young person’s life?

Sometimes the challenges facing young people can sound like stories from somewhere else. But the reality is that many of these struggles exist right here in our own communities.

There are young people navigating life with parents caught in addiction. Young people who have experienced family breakdown, loss, trauma, neglect, isolation, bullying or simply feel like they don’t belong anywhere. Some are just trying to survive each day while searching for connection, encouragement and someone who genuinely believes in them.

Schools work hard. Teachers care deeply. Support staff and caseworkers do incredible work. But many young people are still longing for one thing:

A consistent adult who shows up just for them.

A Connections Mentor spends one school period each week with a young person. No agenda. No judgement. Just intentional time, encouragement, listening, advocacy, goal setting and genuine connection.

For that hour, the young person knows someone has come specifically to see them.

Someone who remembers what mattered last week.

Someone who celebrates their wins.

Someone who helps them navigate challenges.

Someone who believes their future can be different.

Over time, something remarkable happens. Confidence grows. Trust develops. Hope begins to replace hopelessness. A young person who once felt unseen starts to realise they matter.

A mentor won’t solve every problem in a young person’s life. But they can become the steady presence that helps a young person believe a better future is possible.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you could make a difference, perhaps this is your opportunity.

Because sometimes a hope-filled future begins with one caring adult who simply keeps showing up.

Learn more about becoming a Connections Mentor:

https://www.teenchallengetasmania.org/connectionsmentoring

30/05/2026

Sometimes things don't go the way you hope.

After much consideration, we have made the difficult decision to cancel our Futures with Hope events.

Despite months of planning, promotion, conversations with sponsors, generous speakers Cathryn Cocker & MC Kiah Wicks, volunteers, media support and many people cheering us on, ticket sales simply didn't reach the level required to responsibly proceed.

To be completely honest, we don't know exactly why.

Perhaps it was the economic climate. Perhaps competing commitments. Perhaps timing. Perhaps people intended to come but life got busy. We may never know.

What we do know is that the need amongst young people in our community hasn't changed.

In recent months through initiatives like Our Place, we've seen young people begin opening up about circumstances many adults never see. We've seen young people struggling simply to navigate daily life. We've seen trust grow, connections form and support become possible.

Right now, 8 new mentoring relationships are being established between trained volunteer mentors and young people needing someone in their corner. Around 20 students drop in to Our Place as their safe place in St John St after school to chat, grab a drink and snack and wait in safety for their bus.

That work continues regardless of whether fundraising events succeed or fail.

As an organisation, we work hard to stand on our own two feet. We don't receive government funding and rely heavily on the support of our community to continue providing mentoring, prevention programs, educational support and safe spaces for young people.

If you had been considering attending one of our events, would you consider supporting our work through our End of Financial Year Appeal instead?

Every donation helps us continue walking alongside young people who often feel they have very few people walking beside them.

Most importantly, thank you.

Thank you to everyone who purchased tickets, shared posts, encouraged us, sponsored, volunteered, donated auction items or simply believed in what we were trying to achieve.

We're disappointed, but we're not discouraged.

The need is still there. The young people are still there. And we're still committed to being there too.

❤️ If you'd like to support local young people through our EOFY Appeal, visit:

Teen Challenge Tasmania EOFY Giving https://www.teenchallengetasmania.org/giving

28/05/2026

🚨 You could walk away with a BRAND NEW THERMOMIX! 🚨

Join us for the Futures with Hope Ladies Long Table Lunch on June 5 and go in the draw to win.

But more importantly, join us for:
🌸 Encouragement
🌸 Community connection
🌸 Meaningful conversation
🌸 Leadership insight from Cathryn Cocker
🌸 A beautiful afternoon hosted by Kiah Wicks

Every ticket helps support local young people through mentoring and Our Place.

Gather your people and make an afternoon of it 💛

🎟 Tickets available now: https://events.humanitix.com/futures-with-hope-ladies-long-table-lunch

28/05/2026

Women carry a lot these days.

Businesses. Teams. Families. Community responsibilities. The mental load of life.

Sometimes we need intentional spaces to reconnect, breathe, be encouraged and remember we’re not carrying it all alone.

That’s what the Ladies Long Table Lunch is designed to be 🌸

Join Cathryn Cocker and Kiah Wicks for an afternoon of connection, encouragement and meaningful conversation, all while supporting local young people.

Bring a friend or fill a table 💛

🎟 Tickets available now: https://events.humanitix.com/futures-with-hope-ladies-long-table-lunch

28/05/2026

Love it - Costume Ideas anyone? All for a great cause

Calories don’t count on costume day 🍔 🌭🍟🎉 Get your fast food fix here at Hope Costumes & Thrift Store!!

28/05/2026

Something special is about to begin.

This week one of our volunteer mentors was contacted by a school to come in for the final interview and matching process before being connected with a young person through Connections Mentoring.

Their response said it all:

“Oh my gosh, this is getting real now… I’m excited.”

Behind every mentoring connection is a volunteer willing to step into someone else’s world with consistency, encouragement and care. For many young people, knowing one trusted adult is showing up just for them each week can make an enormous difference.

The matching process is always intentional. We work carefully with schools, families, mentors and students to help create connections that are safe, supportive and meaningful for everyone involved.

A new mentoring journey is about to begin and we’re excited too.

To all our mentors currently training, waiting to be matched, or already walking alongside young people… thank you for saying yes. 💙

28/05/2026

We’ve listened carefully to the response from our community and are now putting all our energy into creating a really special Ladies Long Table Lunch experience on June 5 🌸

An afternoon to pause, connect, be encouraged and gather around an important conversation about the future of young people in our community.

✨ Featuring Cathryn Cocker
🎤 Hosted by Kiah Wicks
🎟 Thermomix raffle
🤝 Supporting local youth initiatives including mentoring and Our Place

Bring your friends, work team, mum, daughter, clients or simply come yourself and connect with others.

Because stronger futures happen when community gathers together.

🎟 Earlybird tickets extended until May 29.

Book now: https://events.humanitix.com/futures-with-hope-ladies-long-table-lunch

26/05/2026

“Algorithms designed to entrap.”
That’s how Dr Daniel Amen recently described many social media platforms aimed at children and young people. Endless scrolling, autoplay videos, likes, streaks and notifications aren’t accidental features, they’re designed to keep young brains engaged for as long as possible. Like carrying a slot machine in their pocket.

The concern isn’t just screen time. It’s what constant stimulation can do to attention, sleep, emotional regulation, anxiety levels, relationships and developing brains. Young people are especially vulnerable because the parts of the brain responsible for impulse control and decision-making are still developing.

Dr Amen shared 3 practical suggestions for parents:

1️⃣ Avoid getting a smartphone altogether for as long as possible.
Not every child needs unrestricted internet access in their pocket.

2️⃣ Make the phone as boring as possible.
Turn off notifications, remove unnecessary apps, disable autoplay, and reduce the constant dopamine hits designed to pull them back in.

3️⃣ Create specific access times.
Not every moment of boredom needs a screen. Encourage phones to be used intentionally, perhaps at 1–2 planned times each day rather than endlessly checking throughout the day.

Boredom isn’t the enemy.
Often it’s where creativity, conversation, problem-solving and real-world connection begin.

The digital world isn’t going away, but helping young people build healthy boundaries around technology may be one of the most important protective factors families can provide.

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