For Life Without Barriers to provide support and care, we need to ensure our organisation remains sustainable. It is fundamental that we work with partners to ensure funding is not solely aligned to government grants and awards, but is an income and in kind stream with other organisations that share our values and support our vision.
Ensuring funding for key projects through government support has been our approach up until recently, and while we are still only in the early stages of developing non-government partnerships we have already found strong alignment with a number of organisations.
PARTNERSHIPS
CREATE Foundation
Life Without Barriers works with the CREATE Foundation to support children and young people in Out Of Home Care to participate in decisions that affect their lives. Two of Australia’s high-profile hip hop musicians, Urthboy and Josh Pyke, joined forces with some of our young people in foster and residential care to create a music track and animated video clip which talks directly about their experiences in care. The aim of the project, called Spitballin’ with Urthboy, was to empower our young people to talk about their experiences and draw out their opinions about life as a young person in care. Australia’s national youth music station Triple J launched Someone Else’s House where it reached third place on the Australian Hip-Hop iTunes’ charts. The track now regularly features on Triple J and ABC TV’s Rage and has reached more than 22,000 hits on YouTube. Proceeds from the sale of the song go to the CREATE Foundation to help them in their ongoing advocacy work which provides young people in Out Of Home Care with a voice.
Navman Wireless
In March 2014, Navman Wireless and Life Without Barriers commenced a partnership to support vulnerable individuals, families and communities across Australia. The first initiative under this partnership will involve Navman Wireless providing sponsorship to support young people in out of home care to attain their driver’s licence, with a particular focus on regional and rural areas.
Panthers
Life Without Barriers secured the position as community partner with the Penrith Panthers NRL club for its 2014 NRL season. Our partnership with Penrith Panthers (based in western Sydney) saw our children in care receive the opportunity to attend a First Grade match at Sportingbet Stadium, and provided LWB with free advertising at the ground.
People’s Choice Credit Union
As a sponsor of Life Without Barriers, People’s Choice Credit Union, funded a care coordinator position for our New Horizons program in South Australia. New Horizons helps young people leaving foster care to transition to living independently as adults. Through this invaluable partnership assistance, LWB will be able to assist young people to develop plans and life skills for their future, and to build their confidence and abilities needed to make important decisions such as where they live, study and work.
Sparke Helmore
Sparke Helmore has proved legal advice and assistance to Life Without Barriers since 2000. A recently implemented new approach by Sparke Helmore to its community engagement and pro bono program also benefitted LWB.
Telstra
Telstra has supported Life Without Barriers during 2013–2014 as a multi-dimensional partner providing community service announcements for the 2014 National Carers Awards and 2014 Staff Recognition Awards, as well as being a key core Information Technology partner providing a range of commercial services including Video Conference capabilities, mobile applications development and strategic input and advice on LWB initiatives.
Volkswagen
Life Without Barrier and Volkswagen have developed an innovative partnership that will see Volkswagen supporting LWB through a range of initiatives. A key initiative being developed as part of the partnership will see Volkswagen dealership staff donate their time to mentor LWB young people to acquire driving skills and to reach the required hours of driving time to move from their Learners to the Provisional driver’s licence. Volkswagen demonstration cars will be used as part of this life-skill program which will not only give our young people a sense of accomplishment but also the opportunity to be more mobile for work and leisure and access employment opportunities where a licence is required.