Hunter Youth Mentor Collaborative -

A number of organisations working in youth related fields across the Hunter are member groups of the HYMC. The Collaborative benefits greatly from the combined experience, expertise, resources and skills or representatives sitting around the HYMC table.

Established in October 2002 Kaleidoscope acts as an umbrella organistion that integrates a range of health care services designed to meet the ever-changing health needs of babies, children, young people and their families.

Extending from the flagship John Hunter Children's Hospital in Newcastle, this single network brings together the vast range of hospital and community-based services in the Lake Macquarie, Upper and Lower Hunter, Port Stephens, Lower Mid North Coast and Greater Newcastle regions.

Kaleidoscope links together children's services at hospitals across the region, including Taree, Maitland, Cessnock, Kurri Kurri, Muswellbrook, Scone and Singleton as well as a wide range of community-based services including mental health.

John Hunter Children's Hospital provides services to about 20 of the State's population of children aged up to 16 years.

Career Links assists young people in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie to make a smooth transition from school to further education and work. It is the link between local Governrmt, Catholic and Independent high schools and businesses.

As well as providing activities for boys and girls, basketball, gymnastics, martial arts, boxing, judo and many other activities at their many centres, Newcastle Police and Community Youth Club has taken an active role supporting the Hunter region's 'at risk' youth through its Breakaway Programme which has received widespread media coverage, and by working closely with the Hunter Star Foundation's mentor programme.

The Breakaway programme is an activities-based scheme which encourages teenagers who are struggling with mainstream education to find more effective and positive ways of using their time. A number of graduates from the Breakaway programme have been matched up to mentors from the Hunter Star Foundation’s volunteer mentor programme.

Mission Australia is one of the largest non-denominational Christian community service organisations in Australia and proudly operates within the principles of care, compassion, empowerment and professional integrity. With more than 300 community and employment services around the country, Mission Australia provides an environment which encourages individuals to maximise their potential through the development and delivery of a range of innovative services relevant to a changing society. Mission Australia helped over 18,000 people last financial year through its 71 Youth Initiatives services located around Australia, including 31 in NSW - a number of which have mentoring components.

In the Hunter, Mission Australia became involved in HYMC offering materials and expertise to support other services to establish and enhance their mentoring offerings to the wider community. Mission Australia has recently demonstrated its commitment to providing mentoring services to the young people of Northern NSW with the recent establishment of our Mid Coast Mentoring Program at Port Macquarie, which will be officially launched in late July.

Community Members
Brian Doyle
Craig Eardley
Halina Pacynski
Melinda Smith
Damien Ward