Community not-for-profit Twenty10 has taken out NSW Youth Service of the Year at the Youth Action Youth Awards in Sydney, for their innovative work with young people of diverse genders, sexes and sexualities, their families, friends and communities.
Youth Action Director Emily Jones said Twenty10 had evolved over its 30 year history and today offered a much-needed safe haven for young people to be themselves and to work out what that means.
“Not only has the team at Twenty10 created a place for young people of diverse genders, sexes, and sexualities to be themselves, but they’ve taken the stories of their clients and stepped out into communities to create change in the places where young people and their families live,” she said.
“Twenty10 has experienced significant growth in services and opportunities for young people over the last two years. Their new services including Primary Health Care services and Complimentary Therapies, individual and group counselling services, an education space for the training of community partners and service providers, and art spaces to provide art therapy as a regular part of groups and drop-in program.
“These all demonstrate the holistic approach to supporting clients that has enabled the organisation to go from strength to strength.
“There are so many youth services doing amazing work in NSW today, so for Twenty10 to take out the inaugural NSW Youth Service of the Year award is a great credit to them.”
Twenty10’s Managing Director Rebecca Reynolds said her organisation was thrilled with the award.
“It’s a tremendous honour to be recognised as the NSW Youth Service of the Year,” Reynolds said.
“We have really worked hard to make sure we are constantly innovating and improving. We aim to ensure that young people are key partners in determining health and education topics that are run through our groups and activities program.
“This involvement has seen the development of three unique videos, several plays, an annual art exhibition, choreographed dance routines for Mardi Gras celebrations, a Queer Prom and many other practical skills building activities.
“Regular activities at Twenty10 today include an over 20s Monthly Dinner as well as Saturday and Western Sydney groups, all which give young people a chance to build friendships, have fun, and negotiate relationships that can be taken into the world outside of the organisation.”
