24 July 2017
CEO Message
Thanks to the awesome support of our donors, corporate partners and the community, Youngcare is so proud to have been announced the 2017 Charity Award Winner for the Queensland Telstra Business Awards! We would like to dedicate this accolade to the hundreds of thousands of young people being left behind in inappropriate housing – your strength continues to empower us to fight for real change in the disability housing sector.
On 27 June 2017, it was a pleasure to invite The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, Premier of Queensland to share in a very special moment in time and officially open The Albany Creek Apartments. These apartments represent the pinnacle of residential housing and care for young people with high care needs in South-East Queensland.
Youngcare is proud to set the standard for a new era of age appropriate housing for young people with high care needs – these apartments are a fine example of what can be achieved when we come together as a community. These apartments show that it is possible to build high quality, architecturally designed homes that enable young people with high care needs to live independently with freedom and choice.
In May/June, myself and 10 other dedicated Youngcare supporters pulled on our backpacks and trekked for eight days and 250 kilometres across the Simpson Desert. The Challenge was definitely the toughest physical and mental encounter I have faced.
Throughout, I reflected on the Youngcare cause as we experienced just a snippet of the lack of choice and independence that young people living in inappropriate housing face every day. Now, I feel more determined than ever to lead Youngcare to fight for freedom of choice for young people with high care needs.
Have you seen our billboards around lately? We are working together with the National Disability Insurance Scheme to build more accessible and appropriate homes for young people and their families. If you or someone you know needs a place to call home, visit our website youngcare.com.au to express your interest.
Best wishes,
Anthony Ryan, Chief Executive Officer
Pictured: Anthony and the Simpson Desert trekkers taking on the challenge of a lifetime.
