Celebrating the Clubhouse: Community and Philanthropy Partnerships Week 2017

23 November 2017

On Tuesday 22 November, we launched our third YWCA Canberra Clubhouse Impact Report at a celebratory event, with generous grant funding from Community and Philanthropy Partnerships Week.

The launch provided us with the perfect opportunity to bring our partners together to say thank you and acknowledge the amazing outcomes that we have achieved together.

We were joined by representatives from our Clubhouse partner organisations including Richardson Primary School, the Snow Foundation, Microsoft Australia, and Dimension Data, as well as some of our Clubhouse members, supporters and friends.

Guests had the opportunity to meet Clubhouse members and mentors, and hear firsthand about how the program is empowering young people to become more capable, creative, and confident learners.

The Report details another terrific year at the Clubhouse, in which we have supported more than 200 young members to experiment, drive their own projects, and work with professional and student mentors.

The launch event commenced with an acknowledgement of country, delivered by 14 year old Clubhouse member, Ella. Our Executive Director, Frances Crimmins then highlighted the tremendous impact and growth of the Clubhouse program since it was established in partnership with Richardson Primary School, and a host of corporate and philanthropic partners in 2014.

Frances thanked partner representatives Nicole Agius from Richardson Primary School, Georgina Byron from the Snow Foundation and Hala Batainah from Microsoft Australia for attending, and for their generous support for the program.

Frances acknowledged that through the support of these cross-sector partnerships, and the support of the global Clubhouse Network, we have demonstrated the difference that we can make to the lives of hundreds of young people in the Tuggeranong community.

Richardson Primary School Executive Teacher, Nicole Agius reflected on the unique contribution the Clubhouse has made to the school community – both students and teachers alike.

Chief Executive Officer of the Snow Foundation, Georgina Byron said she is pleased to support the Clubhouse because of the collaborative, innovative and inclusive nature of the program, explaining that these principles all strongly align with the Foundation’s vision.

Federal Director – Branch Manager of Microsoft Australia, Hala Batainah explained that it is crucial that we provide opportunities for young people to develop skills for the workforce of the future, and said she was passionate about taking action to make this vision a reality.

Next, we heard from longstanding Clubhouse member Emily, who shared her personal journey, and the impact it’s made on her life, and decision making. Emily said her favourite activities at the Clubhouse include watercolour painting, photography and video, and composing and editing music. When she finishee college, Emily said she would like to study zoology, engineering, or join the police force.

Frances closed the formalities of the event, thanking everybody again for their support and contributions, and added that our greatest ongoing challenge is to grow our supporter base to enable young people to build skills for the workforce of the future, in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

Guests then enjoyed a tour of the Clubhouse, and participated in a range of activities with Clubhouse members, including origami, watercolour painting, green screen video editing, using block-based programming software, Scratch to build interactive games, and a musical performance in the Clubhouse AV studio.

The Clubhouse relies on corporate and philanthropic funding to maintain the space, provide the technology and other supplies, and to support the operational requirements of the program. We’ve worked hard to build a network of partners combining industry, government and philanthropic organisations, and together we’ve created a vibrant, inclusive space that has grown beyond our imagination.

Through the generosity of our supporters, we have seen the Clubhouse go from strength to strength since its inception in 2014.

We are grateful for the support of all of our partners, past and present for their contributions to the Clubhouse, which is the first in the ACT, the third in Australia, and one of 100 Clubhouses in 19 countries across the world.

We are currently in talks with the ACT Government about its support of the program, and are hopeful that we can secure the future of the Clubhouse.

To download a copy of the 2017 Clubhouse Impact report, or find out how you can get involved, visit our website. You can find all the photos from the event via our Flickr photo album.

Community and Philanthropy Partnerships Week runs from 20-26 November, and is an initiative supported by the Prime Minister’s Community Business Partnership, funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services, and managed by Philanthropy Australia in partnership with the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal.

Tags: Clubhouse, community, CPP Week, Partnerships, STEAM