KICK START CAFE

A 6-12 MONTH PATHWAY PROGRAM

KICK START CAFE

KICK START CAFÉ is a not-for-profit social enterprise that was established, and is now being incubated by PAYCE Foundation. The café employs young people in a 6-12 month pathway program that is tailored to meet individual needs and provide holistic care to the participant.

With the support of Riverwood Community Centre and National Training Organisation, participants receive accredited training, work experience, case management and mentoring, so that on exiting the program they are well equipped to create an active and fulfilling life for themselves.

Since its inception, KICK START CAFÉ has employed and trained 12 young people who, following completion of the program, have been supported to find employment or continue their education.

PAYCE Foundation supports the operations of KICK START CAFÉ, working towards a business model that is both sustainable and replicable. KICK START CAFÉ aims to continue partnering with construction and development companies to provide on-site cafes to service construction workers and the local community while providing employment and training opportunities to young people.

KICK START CAFÉ has been supported by a number of local and strategic partners including Riverwood Community Centre, Stretch-a-Family, SGCH, Schibello Caffè and Dasco.

“The café is a very safe and comfortable place to learn. The chef doesn’t just teach us about cooking, he’s also a great mentor in preparing us for the workforce.”
Ravin Lotomau, Trainee

“Kick Start Cafe provides a great opportunity for our local youth, to engage and learn practical skills to build towards a successful career. The young people with no prior working experience receiving training and support to join the workforce.”
Mo, Youth Worker, Riverwood Community Centre

SUTHERLAND SHIRE FAMILY SERVICES

Sutherland Shire Family Services (SSFS) is dedicated to providing services that lead to safety and wellbeing for families in the Sutherland Shire and St George areas. SSFS aims to support and strengthen the capacity of families, particularly those impacted by disadvantage, violence and trauma.

SUTHERLAND SHIRE FAMILY SERVICES SUTHERLAND SHIRE FAMILY SERVICES

PAYCE Foundation supports SSFS primarily by way of a multi-year grant that funds the role of a part time child and family support worker. Since 2015 PAYCE Foundation has also provided funding and in kind support for other innovative projects and campaigns.

PAYCE Foundation supported SSFS to develop and launch the Pull Ya Head In campaign. Pull Ya Head In is a video series that aims to raise community awareness and understanding of domestic violence, its various forms and its impact on women, children and families. The videos are informed by the experiences of SSFS clients and highlight the easily hidden and increasingly more common forms of domestic violence such as verbal and emotional abuse and financial control.

PAYCE Foundation assisted with the development of Toolbox Talks, a domestic violence education program for the construction industry. Toolbox Talks was developed to educate the male dominated construction industry about domestic violence and shift entrenched attitudes towards women. The program will be integrated into mandatory induction training on designated sites and will reach over 2,000 construction workers during its three year pilot.

SYDNEY STREET CHOIR

The Sydney Street Choir was established in 2001 to support men and women who have, for a variety of reasons, found themselves homeless or at risk of homelessness. The Sydney Street Choir provides a therapeutic music program which promotes social engagement, independence and self-management. It is an innovative service aimed at restoring dignity to the lives of members of our community through music.

PAYCE Foundation supports the Sydney Street Choir in a number of ways. In addition to a multi-year funding arrangement, PAYCE Foundation has worked with the Sydney Street Choir board to develop a strategic plan and identify the organisation’s needs and future priorities.

One challenge identified by the board was its financial sustainability. With no recurrent funding secured, developing a business model that would sustain the organization into the future was a key priority. The Sydney Street Choir Corporate Challenge (SSCCC), launched in 2017, was a joint effort by the Sydney Street Choir and PAYCE Foundation to respond to this need. The SSCCC aimed to increase awareness around homelessness and its causes, improve the public profile of the Sydney Street Choir, promote the Sydney Street Choir’s corporate choir program and raise funds to support the organisation’s development.

The SSCCC encouraged corporate Australia to open its doors (both literally and symbolically) to the Sydney Street Choir and the issues of homelessness and social disadvantage. Participating corporate organisations formed choirs that rehearsed and ultimately performed with the Sydney Street Choir in a public performance in Martin Place during Homelessness Week. Each organisation did its own fundraising and to date the 2017 campaign has raised over $30,000 for the Sydney Street Choir.

SSCCC aims to become an annual campaign that will generate sufficient funds to support the sustainability and growth of the Sydney Street Choir