- $548,373 Lotterywest grant provided to Youth Affairs Council of WA (YACWA)
- Funding support will enable YACWA to deliver grants program to support the wellbeing of vulnerable and disadvantaged young people
- Organisations can apply for grants of up to $10,000 to deliver youth engagement activities in metro and regional WA
Vulnerable young Western Australians will be supported through a range of programs delivered across the State thanks to nearly $550,000 in funding from Lotterywest.
The Youth Affairs Council of WA (YACWA) will distribute the funding to eligible not-for-profit organisations through its Youth Sector Small Grant Program.
Grants will be awarded for projects focused on early intervention and prevention to improve young people's mental health and wellbeing.
The funding is also available for programs to engage young people who are at risk of entering the youth justice system.
Around 40 projects are expected to be supported with organisations able to apply for grants ranging from $1,500 to $10,000.
This is the third year YACWA has delivered the program, which has already provided capacity-building support to more than100 youth organisations across WA.
This year will focus on delivering assistance for youth projects in regional and remote areas to ensure vulnerable young people in the regions have better access to the support they need.
YACWA was also awarded a $160,000 Lotterywest grant to support the delivery of its annual FairGround Conference and support its 2025 Youth Awards to be held in September.
This funding will assist with covering travel costs for regional and remote attendees and provide ticket subsidies for delegates facing financial barriers.
It will also provide support for the Young Person of the Year to run an impactful community project of their choice.
As stated by Youth Minister Hannah Beazley:
"The Cook Labor Government is dedicated to supporting the programs and organisations which support young Western Australians' wellbeing.
"The Youth Affairs Council of WA does a fantastic job managing this grants program to ensure the projects which receive funding deliver improved outcomes for vulnerable young people across our State.
"I welcome the focus this year on supporting more projects based in regional and remote areas, so that young people can have better access to support no matter where they live."
As stated by YACWA Interim CEO Kylie Wallace:
"YACWA is proud to support organisations throughout WA that work with young people.
"Thanks to Lotterywest, these grants will support organisations to improve young people's mental health, strengthen community connection, and support those at risk of entering the justice system - all key areas of our advocacy work.
"We're especially pleased to extend this support to regional and remote communities, including enabling attendance at our flagship events, the WA Youth Awards and FairGround, for those who may not otherwise have the means to attend."
