Very Special Kids
We are proud to support the Very Special Kids Foundation, an organisation that cares for children with life-threatening conditions by providing a children’s hospice and professional family support services.
Very Special Kids are a children’s charity that helps more than 900 families across Victoria who have a child with a life-threatening condition with ongoing support from diagnosis all the way through to recovery or bereavement. Sadly, many of the children they care for will not reach adulthood.
The free-of-charge family support services include counselling, advocacy, sibling support, bereavement support, networking and peer activities, trained family volunteers and specialist care at Very Special Kids Hospice. Each family is supported in unique and varying ways according to their personal needs.
Very Special Kids Hospice is the only children’s hospice in Victoria and we offer families access to planned and emergency respite, as well as end-of-life care. The hospice provides 24-hour specialist nursing care in a warm and welcoming environment.
Very Special Kids was established in 1985 and they now have more than 50 staff and 350 volunteers to support these children and families through the hardest time of their lives.
For more information, please visit www.vsk.org.au
Reach Foundation
We are proud to support the Reach Foundation, an organisation that creates safe and supportive spaces where teenagers can share stories and experiences and recognise that they are not alone.
Reach was established in 1994 by the late Jim Stynes OAM (AFL Brownlow Medalist, youth motivator, and Victorian of the Year 2003) and Australian film director, Paul Currie. Jim and Paul were two young men who recognised that too often the greatness in young people is hidden behind fear, anger or hurt. Reach was born from a desire to inspire every young person to believe in themselves and get the most out of life.
The Reach programs have helped nearly 60,000 young Australians across regional and metro areas to develop skills and tools they need to help them improve their self esteem, develop resilience and emotional awareness, skills that can be developed early in adolescence to prepare them to handle any serious challenges they may face later in life, such as depression, substance abuse, homelessness and suicide.
Independent research has shown that Reach has helped teenagers to improve their overall levels of self-esteem, optimism, and feelings of control over their lives.
For more information, please visit www.reach.org.au