7 November 2016

A message from the COO

What a party we had in July, celebrating one year since the beautiful Youngcare Share House at Wooloowin became a home filled with laughter, friends, family and fun to four young Aussies with high care needs!

We were thrilled to celebrate together with the local community, government and our supporters the commencement of early works at our Albany Creek apartments, brought to life in partnership with MS Queensland and the Queensland Government. This innovative new development will become home to eight young Aussies with high and mid care needs early in 2017.

I would like to take this opportunity to extend a very special thank you to Samantha Kennerley, who resigned as Chief Executive Officer in August 2016. Sam leaves Youngcare with an incredible legacy guiding the organisation towards our mission to help young people with high care needs to live the young lives they deserve. Together with the Youngcare team, I wish Sam every happiness and success as she begins her next chapter.

Our vision of a future where no young person has to call aged care “home” remains, as newly appointed CEO, Anthony Ryan joins the Youngcare team in November. Anthony has a wealth of experience, having worked in the not-for-profit sector for more than six years, most recently as CEO of the Edmund Rice Foundation. The team would like to welcome Anthony into his new role; we look forward to working together to ensure young people with high care needs can live with choice, independence and dignity.

It has been my pleasure to guide Youngcare

towards its vision during this transition period and what better way to wrap up the year than to see 131 young Aussies exit or avoid admission into aged care*. Of course, these outcomes could not have been achieved without the valued backing of our partners and supporters – THANK YOU!

Pictured: Melissa Morrison, Jenna Ketchell, Barney Wray and Boosta celebrate the Wooloowin Share House’s first birthday.