Our History & Achievements

As a Service, Youth Solutions’ history spans over more than years and contains a number of achievements and highlights which we are incredibly proud of. Below you will find a brief timeline of some of our key achievements since we were founded in 1988:

2021

• Youth Solutions receives the Campbelltown City Council Australia Day Awards honour for Community Group Initiative

Youth Solutions CEO Geraldine Dean accepts the Australia Day Award for Youth Solutions.

2020

• Youth Solutions’ ARTucation project is named winner of the 2020 ZEST Award for Outstanding Project Working With Aboriginal Communities in Western Sydney

2019

• Youth & Community Development Coordinator Karen Yuen is awarded Outstanding Contribution to the South Western Sydney Drug & Alcohol Partnership from the South Western Sydney Drug & Alcohol Steering Committee and Interagency

2018

• In June 2018, Youth Solutions is again accredited at the Certificate level of Australian Services Excellence Standards. Staff and volunteers were commended on their ‘can do’ attitude and ongoing commitment to improvement. “Youth Solutions is a quality organisation putting drug and alcohol health promotions at the centre of everything they do and is arguably punching above its weight in terms of service reach”.
• Research & Design Coordinator Emily Deans is awarded the Newcomer of the Year Award from the South Western Sydney Drug & Alcohol Steering Committee and Interagency
• Youth Solutions celebrates 30 years of servicing the community

2017 

• Youth Solutions’ YAG wins Community Group of the Year at the Camden Australia Day Awards
• Program Coordinator Eden Wheatley is awarded the Newcomer of the Year Award from the South Western Sydney Drug & Alcohol Steering Committee and Interagency
• The DAIR program receives a nomination for the ZEST Awards; Exceptional Project Within a Not For Profit Organisation

Youth Solutions YAG representatives accept the award for Community Group of the Year.

2016  

• Chief Executive Officer Geraldine Dean is named the Campbelltown Local Woman of the Year
• Youth Solutions is awarded a Stronger Communities Grant
• Chief Executive Officer Geraldine Dean is awarded the Excellent in Commitment & Service to the Partnership Initiative Award from the South Western Sydney Drug & Alcohol Steering Committee and Interagency
• Youth Solutions is named a finalist in the NADA NSW Non Government Alcohol and Other Drug Awards in the Excellence in Health Promotion category
• Youth Development Coordinator Karen Yuen was a guest speaker at the Australian Commission for Young People (ACYP) Youth Week Showcase
• The Peer Enrichment and Empowerment Project (PEEP) is named as a finalist in the Youth Action Youth Work Awards for the NSW Youth-led Project of the Year
• Youth Development Coordinator Karen Yuen is named as a finalist in the Youth Action Youth Work Awards for the NSW Youth Worker of the Year

2015    

Youth Solutions receives six ZEST Awards nominations. These include:

• Outstanding Community Leadership, Paid Capacity – Geraldine Dean
• Outstanding Youth Leader – Program Officers Corin Boughton, Lauren Ognenovski, Amanda Partridge
• Outstanding Aboriginal Community Project – ARTucation (received the Highly Commended Award)
• Out of the Box Award – PEEP Project
• Youth Solutions’ ARTucation project, wins the Champions of the West Award for Indigenous Excellence
• Youth Solutions is nominated for Youth Action’s 2015 Youth Work Awards in the following categories: Youth Service of the Year & Best Partnership – for the Safer Celebrations project Keep it in Check; a partnership with Campbelltown Catholic Club

2014    

• Youth Solutions wins the ZEST Award for Exceptional Community Partnership in a Local Government Area for its Safer Celebrations project (a partnership with Campbelltown Catholic Club)
• Chief Executive Officer Geraldine Dean is nominated for the ZEST Award for Outstanding Community Leader
• The Youth Advisory Group is nominated for the ZEST Award for Outstanding Voluntary Group/Organisation
• The Safer Celebrations project wins Campbelltown Catholic Club the Clubs NSW Award in the Health category
• The Youth Advisory Group is nominated for the Champions of the West Awards in the Young Achievers category
• Youth Solutions wins the highly commended Youth Service of the Year prize at the Youth Action 2014 Youth Work Awards
• The Youth Solutions Board wins the Werriwa Volunteer Award for Innovation in Volunteering. The board is also nominated for the Macarthur Volunteer Award in the same category

2013    

• The Youth Solutions Youth Advisory Group is awarded the Macarthur Volunteer Award for Innovation in Volunteering

2011

• Awarded as the winner of the Campbelltown City Council Community Service Award

2010

• NSW Health and South Western Sydney Local Health District provide 75% of Service funding with additional funding being actively sought to sustain and implement additional projects and meet growing community need

2008

• Awarded as the winner of the Macarthur Chronicle True Local Business Awards – Community Contribution of the Year

2007

• Awarded as a Finalist in Excellence in Prevention, National Drug & Alcohol Awards for the Parent Links Peer Education Project

2006    

• Awarded as a Finalist in Excellence in Prevention, National Drug & Alcohol Awards for the Cannabis and Young People Project/ Dope EFX u
• Youth Solutions achieves Accreditation

2005

• Youth Solutions continues to work with its primary and secondary target groups. The team continues to work extensively to prevent and reduce drug use and related harms among young people in South Western Sydney (SWS)
• Increasingly providing an advocacy and consultancy role at a Local, State (NSW) and National level

2003     

• Trading name relaunched as Youth Solutions

2002

• Recognised for commitment to young people by receiving a National Award for Excellence in Youth Specific Initiatives from the Ted Noffs Foundation
• Geographical boundaries expanded to work with young people and community members living, working and recreating in the Macarthur and Wingecarribee regions (Campbelltown, Camden, Wollondilly, and Wingecarribee Local Government Areas)

2001

First Charity Evening and Charity Golf Day held

1988 

• Established by the Macarthur Drug and Alcohol Services Committee Incorporated, as The Macarthur Drug and Alcohol Youth Project
• Working with young people 12 – 25 years living in Macarthur (Campbelltown, Camden and Wollondilly Local Government Areas). Funded by the NSW Health Department and South Western Sydney Area Health Service