How did your service begin?
In 1976 a group of local Aboriginal women in the Redfern/Waterloo area identified a gap in support services plus activities for local young people and advocated for Weave to be established.

Who do you see?
Weave works with a wide demographic of people on Gadigal and Bidjigal land from our offices in Waterloo, Woolloomooloo and Malabar. Weave supports young people, individuals and families who are facing complex and systemic issues such as homelessness, poverty, domestic and family violence, alcohol and other drugs use, mental illness, intergenerational trauma, economic hardship and legal matters.

What services do you provide?
Weave has numerous programs that operate out of its sites based on community need and concerns. Weave provides holistic casework, counselling, therapeutic and targeted early intervention programs, cultural engagement and mentoring, domestic violence support, alcohol and other drug support, tutoring, support to obtain a driver licence as well as community events and group programs. Weave has four sites, each with their own eligibility criteria to accommodate a wide coverage of communities. One of Weave’s programs, Speak Out Dual Diagnosis, supports people aged 12–28 whose lives have been impacted by co-existing mental health and alcohol and other drug use concerns.

Speak Out uses a holistic model of care that responds to issues young people identify as their priorities. Support for achieving mental health and alcohol and other drug outcomes is woven into the program, which can also include support around housing, justice system engagement, employment, education, family relationships, social connectivity and cultural connection. Speak Out includes client led, strengths-based projects and groups such as Mad Pride, Art Group, Youth Advocates and SMART Recovery.

Share a story of impact!
Weave Speak Out runs a fortnightly group for girls, women and non-binary young people and recently held a three-day camp. The camp, on Yuin Country, was an opportunity for participants to participate in a range of therapeutic and cultural activities as a group. We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the young people who attended the camp about the impacts it had on their mental health and wellbeing. For some, attending the camp was the first time in months they had a safe, quiet place to sleep for the night. For others, they reported not being able to remember the last time they laughed so much or felt so happy. The young people recorded various conversations and soundscapes during the camp which will be used for the annual Mad Pride event later in the year, allowing the conversations and experiences to be shared with a wider community. The camp is just one example of how Weave was able to provide a unique experience for a group of young people whose lives have been impacted by complex mental health and alcohol and other drug use.

How did your service begin?
Following the death of Bobby Goldsmith, one of the first Australians to die from an AIDS-related illness in 1984, his friends established support and services for people living with HIV. We are the legacy of that group of dedicated friends.

Who do you see?
In 2023/24, we saw 770 people living with HIV across our services in NSW and SA. We see anyone who is having difficulty living with HIV—whether it be physically, emotionally or financially. This includes people living with HIV experiencing homelessness and/or alcohol and other drugs dependency. HIV can affect every facet of a person’s life, including employment, relationships, physical and mental health. For people living with HIV, the mental health impacts are a real concern. Stigma, discrimination, social isolation, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem are some of the emotional challenges our clients can face.

What services do you provide?
We provide practical, emotional and financial support to people living with HIV in NSW and SA. HIV populations are changing and so are the needs of those who require our support. We provide a range of services, including financial counselling, supporting people experiencing homelessness and alcohol and other drugs dependency. BGF’s uplifting health and wellbeing programs allow participants to express themselves through creative ways whilst fostering connectivity with others. BGF also expanded its service offerings throughout NSW and SA in 2024. This expansion allows us to provide fee-for-service National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) services to everyone. Whilst we specialise in disability support for people living with HIV and the broader Bobby Goldsmith Foundation (BGF) LGBTQIA+ community, we are thrilled to be working with new clients from all walks of life who are seeking progressive and supportive care.

Share a story of impact!
Diagnosed with HIV in 2019, Maleek’s HIV status was disclosed without his consent, leading to significant personal and social challenges. Maleek was dependent on methamphetamine and had accumulated $10,000 in parking and driving fines. He had sometimes endured domestic and family violence, including physical, psychological and financial abuse. Maleek‘s housing situation was precarious—he often couch-surfed or lived in his car. Diagnosed with depression, anxiety and PTSD, he was estranged from his children in Australia and his family overseas. Maleek had also contemplated suicide.

BGF provided Maleek with comprehensive support, including with housing applications and advocating on his behalf. BGF also helped dispute some of his fines related to COVID and homelessness and have referred him to various support services including legal support, relationship counselling, psychological support, homelessness services and AOD support groups. BGF helped Maleek with Work and Development Orders to pay off his outstanding fines and referred him to financial counselling to support him with finance management. Maleek’s work with BGF has had a profound impact and he is starting to see a brighter future.

How did your service begin?
The longstanding Wesley Mission Youth AOD program emerged from a partnership with NSW Health to address pressing community needs. It has since evolved in response to changing needs.

Who do you see?
We work with young people aged 12–24, schools, community groups and support agencies in the Newcastle and Maitland areas. I see a diverse group of individuals, each with unique backgrounds and experiences.

Various factors impact young people’s lives, including family environment, peer relationships, education, social media, mental health, socio-economic conditions and cultural norms. These factors shape their behaviour and experiences with alcohol and other drugs and influence their development, opportunities, and challenges as they navigate this critical stage of their lives.

What services do you provide?
Wesley Mission Youth AOD early intervention works to understand and address alcohol and other drug issues in the early stages to prevent further development. This is a free program supporting young people and service providers with current information about alcohol and other drugs. This program aims to prevent the escalation of substance use concerns by promoting awareness and education in the early stages. It focuses on healthier outcomes and harm minimisation strategies through evidence-based education programs, community events, and tailored community education sessions for services. Wesley Mission collaborates with people and services to design programs suited to their needs. The program offers valuable advice on supporting young people impacted by alcohol and other drug issues.

Share a story of impact!
AOD early intervention work is invaluable because it allows us to address numerous factors impacting young people’s lives. By intervening early, we can prevent potential issues from escalating, address concerns and support young people in making healthier life choices.

Wesley partnered with a local First Nations artist and owner of Alejandro Lauren to deliver a series of First Nations art workshops in schools and the community. These workshops serve as a platform for learning cultural knowledge and experiences. A safe and inclusive environment was designed, which allowed young people to express their personal experiences and initiate meaningful conversations about life challenges, such as in relation to AOD. The creative environment strengthened cultural identity and community connections, in addition to fostering artistic expression for young people. Young people gained a deeper understanding of their heritage while building resilience and forming supportive networks. Participants shared positive feedback about learning more about their culture and feeling a deeper connection to their culture and community. They also appreciated the safe space to share stories and expressed a strong desire to attend future art workshops and activities hosted by Wesley Mission. This initiative has proven to be a valuable opportunity for young people to explore their creativity, build resilience, and engage in important conversations about their lives.

How did your service begin?
The Gender Centre was born from the need to create a safe space for street-based sex workers from the trans community. In the early 1980s, lobbying ensued, and funding was acquired to set up crisis accommodation.

Who do you see?
We support a range of trans and gender diverse community members across NSW, including sex workers, young people, older people, Indigenous communities, people of colour and those in regional and remote areas. We also support people in prison.

People accessing our service may be impacted by a range of issues, including homelessness, AOD dependence and negative mental health, which can be associated with the stigmatising representation of trans and gender diverse communities in the media. Bullying and discrimination, including at school, can lead to rough sleeping and trans and gender diverse people entering sex work for income. Trans and gender diverse people aged 14–25 also have a terrible attempted suicide rate, which is at 48%. We work hard to target that segment of the community through our services.

What services do you provide?
We work with clients to support them to find their feet to manage intersecting support needs. We support people with casework, housing, employment, counselling and psychology, plus groups for different segments of trans and gender diverse communities. At the core of our work is our crisis accommodation and housing, which supports the most disadvantaged members of the community. We also work hard to develop trans and gender diverse people’s resilience around discrimination.

In the last decade, we have seen the need to support families of trans and gender diverse young people in school settings, including through counselling and wraparound support.

Share a story of impact!
We are here for transgender and gender diverse people, their families and allies celebrating them in all their diversities.

We promote the rights and dignity of trans and gender diverse communities. We see that when trans and gender diverse people get to be their authentic selves, they go on to live their best lives. In our work, we also see the incredible resilience of trans and gender diverse people. We see the care and support trans and gender diverse communities provide to each other.

We also hear about families doing their best to support trans and gender diverse people. We work to support young people to maintain a healthy relationship with their families and maintain the safe and protective bubble that families can provide.