beyondblue, the national organisation that works to combat depression and anxiety in Australia, is holding a competition specifically for 12- to 25-year-olds as part of this year’s National Youth Week.

Young people are asked to submit a picture and caption that best reflects this year’s National Youth Week theme: ‘Be active. Be happy. Be you.’ Entrants will be in the running to win a $1,000 surfboard. The competition can be accessed on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/beyondblue?ref=ts&fref=ts)

For more competition details and ideas about how to make your Youth Week events a success, go to: http://www.youthbeyondblue.com/home/national-youth-week-2013/

(Source: Youth Field Xpress March 2013 and email from Youthbeyondblue, 12 March 2013.)

 Youth Homelessness Matters Day is raising awareness for the 26,000 young people who have no place to go by asking everyday people to give up their bed for the night on 10 April.

The National Youth Coalition for Housing wants you to stay at a friend’s, sleep on the porch, crash on the couch or snooze in the office. Help break the stigma of homelessness by highlighting the various places and uncertainty experienced when you don't have safe, stable and affordable accommodation. They also want you to:

• Pledge to complete the action.
• Share where you sleep using #YHMD or tagging @YHMDay in photos.
• Organise your friends and family to complete the call by hosting a sleepover or sleep out.

You can make a pledge at: http://www.youthhomelessnessmatters.net/

Source: Youth Field Xpress March 2013

 A Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) report has urged countries to stop the immigration detention of children, urging states to “expeditiously and completely cease the detention of children on the basis of their immigration status.” The Refugee Council of Australia has joined a range of organisations include the International Detention Coalition and Chilout to campaign for an end to the immigration detention in children.

Recent detention figures show the number of children in locked facilities at an all-time high of 1221. In October 2010, the Australian Government said it would remove most children out of immigration detention facilities and into the community. However, the number of children being held in closed detention facilities has increased significantly in recent months, increasing the potential long-term mental health damage to children.

Read the full report here: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crc/docs/discussion2012/ReportDGDChildrenAndMigration2012.pdf

Source: Refugee Council Monthly Bulletin, 18th March

The Minister for Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services has granted funding for LGAQ to employ a policy officer to provide ongoing support for Social Inclusion policy and strategies. The primary focus of this role will be to work with councils and broker information on behalf of local government to assist in the development of policies and responses to emerging social inclusion priorities.

Social Inclusion services target a range of disadvantaged, at risk and vulnerable Queenslanders, including individuals and families impacted by domestic violence and/or homelessness, young people, seniors and women.

The position will have a broad remit which will include providing advice on the recommissioning of social inclusion services – a process to be conducted by the DOCCSDS in the coming months.

Most of you are aware of our Women’s Access Fund, which has provided funds to disadvantaged women in Queensland to help them access abortion. This Fund has been under increasing pressure in recent years, providing over $50,000 in direct client assistance in 2011-12, and now we have had to make a difficult decision about its future.

It is with regret that we announce the Women’s Access Fund cannot continue in its current form and will cease operation tomorrow, Thursday 28 March. 

More than 400 participants of the 2013 ACOSS National Conference have today passed a resolution calling on the federal parliament of Australia to urgently legislate for a $50 increase in the single rate of Newstart and other low paying allowances.
 
The resolution reads:
 
‘Participants of the 2013 ACOSS National Conference unanimously call on the federal parliament of Australia to urgently legislate for a $50 increase in the single rate of Newstart and other low paying allowances.
 
Allowance payments also need to be indexed to wages as opposed the CPI.
 
This must be included in this May Budget before the federal election if we are to prevent worsening levels of poverty in our country.
 
Already one in eight people are living in poverty in Australia, including one in six children.
 
This is an indictment on our nation and it’s in our national interest to take immediate steps to redress this.’

AcTiV8 is a high impact innovative event designed as part of youth week 2013, to inspire youth from multicultural backgrounds to dream big and enhance their belief in endless possibilities. AcTiV8 is the first of its kind in Brisbane and will deliver workshops and visual arts presentations mixed with fun activities such as music and dance.

Presentations are centered on the lives of 8 outstanding individuals of our time who went from zero to hero and who dared to turn their fortunes around by making hard choices and by overcoming the challenges of life through discipline and resilience in the face of adversity. AcTiV8 will empower youth and transform their mindset to believe "anything is possible if you believe, work hard and give it a go".

Some limited spaces will be reserved for main stream youth who wish to participate...please contact event organizers to discuss your participation.

Check out more at M-YES - http://www.m-yes.org/activ8.html

Premier Campbell Newman announced on Sunday that boot camps for convicted youths will be open in Townsville, Rockhampton and on the Fraser Coast by September, along with two other camps, one operating on the Gold Coast and one opening soon in Kuranda.

Brisbane Times has reported that young people will spend four weeks at the camps cooking, cleaning, doing physical activities and studying while under constant surveillance. Mr Newman says they will be given an opportunity to turn their lives around under the guidance of mentors and their families.

The five boot camps will be trialled for two years.

Brisbane Times report:
Fraser Coast - http://www.frasercoastchronicle.com.au/news/itll-be-hard-yakka-to-get-boot-camp-funding/1803897/
Rockhampton - http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/boot-camp-youth-pcyc-volunteer-state-government/1804131/

Dept Families, Communities Services and Indigenous Affairs
Amount: $1000 - $5000
Closing: 24 April 2013

Funding is available to assist organisations meet the needs of their volunteers. Grants are available to purchase small equipment items, to contribute to the reimbursement of volunteers' fuel costs, including transport costs for volunteers with disability who are unable to drive, and to assist with the costs of training courses and background screening checks for volunteers.

For more info: www.fahcsia.gov.au

Australian Government
Amount: Up to $1,500
Closing: Ongoing

The Transition to Independent Living Allowance (TILA) is one-off support from the Australian Government to help young people who are leaving care to meet some of the costs involved in moving to independent living.

If you are eligible for TILA you can get assistance of up to $1,500 in paying for some of the things you need to successfully make the transition to independence.

For more info: click here