LOCAL GIRLS AND WOMEN SUPPORTED TO KICKSTART THEIR GREAT YDEAS

27 April 2016

The successful recipients of YWCA Canberra’s Great Ydeas Small Grants Program have been announced, with seven local girls and women supported to help pursue a diverse range of exciting new projects.

The Great Ydeas program is designed to help Canberra women and girls to achieve their goals through innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership.

Executive Director Frances Crimmins said that this year’s grants program has been boosted by the support of corporate relationships, producing even more opportunities for local women and girls.

“We very grateful for the support of Australian Catholic Superannuation, EY and NAB, who have offered three unique grants for young women and girls,”

“We were astounded by the high-quality calibre of applications received this year. It is a testament to the ingenuity and creativity of girls and women in our local community.”

The 2016 Great Ydeas successful grant recipients are:

• The Australian Catholic Superannuation Great Ydeas Enrichment Grant – Elyse Lenehan, who is studying at the prestigious National Aboriginal and Islander Dance Academy in Gosford. Elyse hopes to dance with Bangarra Dance Theatre, and this grant will support her with living expenses during her study, including the purchase of a laptop.
• The EY Great Ydeas Impact Grant – Emily Warburton, who is passionate about promoting health and wellbeing, and will use the Great Ydeas grant to establish a yoga and meditation program at her high school.
• Erin-Claire Barrow, a talented local artist who will write, illustrate and exhibit a series of feminist fairytales, reinterpreting the classics to increase visibility of traditionally under-represented characters.
• Gemma Killen, a PhD candidate at the Australian National University. The grant will support Gemma to travel to London to present at an international conference on how young, queer women use the internet to understand and speak about their bodies.
• The NAB Great Ydeas Innovate Grant – Kate Butler has established Enrol 4 Change, an advocacy body designed to promote democracy and encourage young Canberrans to enrol to vote. The grant will help her to establish a professional website to promote Enrol 4 Change.
• Ritu Clementi, who will develop monthly leadership seminars for college-aged young women, connecting them with community leaders and providing them with leadership skills.
• Sarah Collett, who plans to establish a local training and consulting business to deliver high-quality, flexible and affordable workshops on child safety for childcare workers and other community sector staff.

Since 2010, more than 30 women have received Great Ydeas grants to support a range of unique activities including business pilots, community development and social enterprise projects, and professional development.

The successful grant recipients were announced at YWCA Canberra’s annual Round the World Breakfast.

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Download: MEDIA RELEASE – LOCAL GIRLS AND WOMEN SUPPORTED TO KICKSTART THEIR GREAT YDEAS

Frances Crimmins is available for interview.

Media contact: Jordan Lim 0429 210 881

About YWCA Canberra: YWCA Canberra is a feminist, not-for-profit community organisation that has been providing community services and representing women’s issues in the Canberra community since its establishment in 1929. YWCA Canberra employs more than 300 staff across the ACT, and delivers 30 quality programs in children’s services, community development, housing, youth services, women’s leadership, advocacy, and training. Represented in 122 countries, the YWCA has a global reach of 25 million women and girls. As part of this international movement, YWCA Canberra works for a world where reconciliation, justice, peace, health, human dignity, freedom and care for the environment are promoted and sustained through women’s leadership. For more information visit: www.ywca-canberra.org.au

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