Youth Action NSW

Youth Action NSW Youth Action is the peak body representing young people and the services that support them in NSW. To achieve this, it is the role of Youth Action to:

1.

We work towards a society where all young people are valued, engaged and supported. Respond to social and political agendas relating to young people and the youth services sector
2. Provide proactive leadership and advocacy and shape the agenda on issues affecting young people and youth services
3. Collaborate on issues that affect young people and youth workers
4. Promote a positive profile in th

e media and the community of young people and youth services
5. Build capacity for young people to speak out and take action on issues that affect them
6. Enhance the capacity of the youth services sector to provide high quality services
7. Ensure Youth Action’s organisational development, efficiency, effectiveness and good governance. Youth Action:

- monitors and responds to government policies and proposals affecting young people
- promotes and advocates on issues affecting young people and youth services
- brings young people and youth workers together to act on issues affecting them
- works to raise a positive profile of young people in the media and in the community
- provides training, forums and conferences to young people and youth workers
- provides information and referral
- produces a range of resources, publications and newsletters.

Thriving shouldn't end at age eight. Support shouldn't either.Yet in NSW, thousands of young people with disability risk...
16/06/2026

Thriving shouldn't end at age eight. Support shouldn't either.

Yet in NSW, thousands of young people with disability risk being left without the foundational supports they need as they move into adolescence, creating uncertainty about where they can turn for support.

Speaking with ABC Radio Sydney, Youth Action Chair Rebecca Kelly highlighted the challenges young people with disability face as they move beyond the Thriving Kids program.

"What we're hearing is there really is that strong support that young people do need to be able to access those types of support, and that there will be a really big gap in between the NDIS and Thriving Kids," she said.

Youth Action CEO Lauren Stracey said: "Disability does not vanish on a child's ninth birthday. Every young person deserves the opportunity to thrive through adolescence. That's exactly why it's the wrong time for support to disappear."

Every young person deserves the opportunity to thrive through adolescence. By extending foundational supports beyond age eight, NSW can ensure more young people have the support they need to build independence, navigate life's challenges and reach their full potential.

Read more in our media release here:https://youthaction.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/NSW-Government-urged-to-extend-disability-support-beyond-age-eight.pdf

Youth Action’s Ask for Health project invites you to be part of an important conversation at our upcoming Ask for Health...
15/06/2026

Youth Action’s Ask for Health project invites you to be part of an important conversation at our upcoming Ask for Health Topic Panel Discussion: LGBTIQA+ Affirming Language and Care – supporting young people.

Join us as we bring together young people and professionals based in NSW to explore how inclusive language and affirming practices can transform the health experiences of LGBTIQA+ young people.

📅 18 June at 10am
📍 Online via Zoom - Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/qG7biyAzSk6c8mfqipZn7A #/registration

We'd love to see you there! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Rights-based youth engagement isn't about getting everyone to agree. It's about being honest about which rights you're a...
11/06/2026

Rights-based youth engagement isn't about getting everyone to agree. It's about being honest about which rights you're advancing, how, and why.

In our Sector Session last week, Dean Farquhar from Australian Youth Affairs Coalition (AYAC) joined us to talk through their latest report: A shared understanding of rights-based youth engagement? A conversation starter on challenges and opportunities.

In case you missed it, we captured our key takeaways from the report! And if you're eager to learn more, you can download the full report here:https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60948b9e3847ee0caf0e2dd4/t/69bb31de0877621552e1687f/1773875678913/A+shared+understanding+of+rights-based+youth+engagement-final.pdf

We’re pleased to be a partner of the RYDON 2026 Conference alongside the Office for Youth NSW and the Foundation for Rur...
02/06/2026

We’re pleased to be a partner of the RYDON 2026 Conference alongside the Office for Youth NSW and the Foundation for Rural Regional Renewal. This conference is an exciting two‑day gathering (22 and 23 June) that brings the youth sector together for real learning, real connection and real impact.

Across the program you’ll dive into inspiring keynotes, hands‑on workshops and big‑picture conversations about the opportunities and challenges facing young people today across rural and regional NSW. Expect fresh ideas, practical tools you can take straight back to your work, and powerful examples of innovation and community leadership from across the state.

For us at Youth Action, RYDON is more than a conference. It’s a chance to reconnect with purpose, celebrate the wins of our sector and strengthen the relationships that make this work possible. Whether you’re new to the field or a long‑time youth worker, you’ll leave feeling energised about what we can achieve together.

With $50 tickets and travel subsidies available, spots will fill fast.

Purchase your tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/rydon-2026-youth-sector-conference
Check out the conference program here:https://youthaction.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2026-RYDON-conference-program.pdf

We can't wait to see you there!

Be part of the conversation.Youth Action is inviting members to our next Youth Sector Meeting on Thursday 4 June at 10am...
27/05/2026

Be part of the conversation.

Youth Action is inviting members to our next Youth Sector Meeting on Thursday 4 June at 10am.

In this session, we'll be joined by Dean Farquhar, National Youth Engagement Lead from Australian Youth Affairs Coalition (AYAC) to discuss Rights Based Youth Engagement off the back of their latest report: A shared understanding of rights-based youth engagement? A conversation starter on challenges and opportunities.

We'd love to see you there!

Register for the Sector Meeting here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/5JANDV18QVKo3AmpUZtzjQ #/

Access AYAC's report here: https://ayac.org.au/publications-2

Today marks the beginning of National Reconciliation Week, a moment each year for all Australians to reflect on our shar...
27/05/2026

Today marks the beginning of National Reconciliation Week, a moment each year for all Australians to reflect on our shared histories, celebrate the strength of the world’s oldest living cultures, and consider the role we each play in moving reconciliation forward.

This year’s theme, All In, is a reminder that reconciliation is an active commitment. It calls on every one of us to show up, every day, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The work of truth‑telling, justice and change cannot rest solely on First Nations communities, who have carried this load for generations.

This year's artwork, Gaagal, created by Gumbaynggirr/Bundjalung artist Otis Hope Carey, uses the movement of the ocean to symbolise people from all walks of life coming together. It’s a powerful image of what it means to be “all in” for meaningful change.

Reconciliation doesn’t happen on its own. It takes intention, courage and collective action. This week and every week, we choose to be all in.

To learn more and access resources, visit: https://www.reconciliation.org.au/

Today, on National Sorry Day, we pause to remember the Stolen Generations, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander childre...
26/05/2026

Today, on National Sorry Day, we pause to remember the Stolen Generations, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were forcibly removed from their families, communities and culture. We honour the strength of survivors, their families and communities, and acknowledge the deep and ongoing impacts of these injustices.

For many Aboriginal young people, these harms are not historical alone. They continue to be felt through systems that still separate children from family, culture and community at disproportionate rates.

As of September 2025, 4.5% of First Nations children were on care and protection orders, compared with 0.4% of non-Indigenous children. Indigenous women continue to experience family violence at profoundly disproportionate rates, and Aboriginal children remain over-represented across systems where safety and wellbeing are compromised.

These are not inevitable outcomes. They are the result of systems and structures that must change.

At Youth Action, we remain committed to listening to Aboriginal young people and communities, creating spaces where young people are supported to share their stories, experiences, knowledge, wisdom and solutions, and advocating for action in response to that generosity. Once young people share their truth with us, we have a responsibility to act.

Sorry means more than remembrance. It means truth-telling, accountability and sustained action toward systems that keep young people connected to culture, community, safety and belonging.

Youth Week has taken us all across NSW this April, and we've loved every moment of it. Here's part 2 of our Youth Week w...
01/05/2026

Youth Week has taken us all across NSW this April, and we've loved every moment of it. Here's part 2 of our Youth Week wrap up, with more to come!

We made our way to Port Macquarie, where we spent two days connecting with local young people and the youth sector. On Day 1, we visited Ngurra (The Park), an innovative YP Space project that transformed a caravan park into temporary accommodation for young people, complete with 12 cabins, a Drop‑In Centre, community gardens, chooks, and shared facilities.

On Day 2, we attended the Youth Homelessness Matters Day event, where young people told us there had been a huge need for increased services and better access to mental health supports, GPs, employment pathways and youth‑friendly spaces.

We also attended the Central Coast Council Youth Week Awards, where we came together to celebrate the achievements and creativity of young people, such a joyful night! Congratulations to all the winners and nominees, your contributions to your local community are incredibly valued and impactful.

We also made our way to Bayside Council's Youth Week event, hosting a stall and chatting with local young people about their experiences growing up in Bayside. We met the Bayside Youth Advisory Group and were so impressed by the work they were doing with their council.

We wrapped up this leg of the tour at KinHub's art exhibition, “Unseen, Unheard, Unstoppable”. The artwork and stories shared by Kinhub’s young people left us inspired and deeply moved.

It has been truly energising for the Youth Action team to get out and meet young people and members of the youth sector across NSW. And the tour didn’t end there. Stay tuned for Part 3 of our Youth Week wrap‑up!

Address

52-58 William Street
Sydney, NSW
2011

Telephone

+61283543700

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