Official opening, Friday 29 September 2006

Leading Australian community services group, Mission Australia, is opening a new office in Adelaide’s west tomorrow with a focus on helping young people who have dropped out of school for a host of reasons, such as family disruption, poverty, and drug and alcohol problems.

The new office, at the Cheltenham Community Centre (62 Stroud Street, North Cheltenham) is to be officially opened on Friday, September 29.

They include:

• The Bridges Program – an initiative of Ocean View College, an off-campus program delivering flexible education options, case management, and life skills training to young people, particularly young women who are disconnected from mainstream education.
• School holiday programs at the Athol Park Neighbourhood House (co-facilitated with Parks Health Service and the City of Charles Sturt)
• Bigger Picture, a specialised anger-management program supporting young people at Woodville Youth Central (co-facilitated with the Services to Youth Council)
• Bay Central, in collaboration with Seaview High School – an alternative education for young people aged 15-17

“We’ve had major successes with our programs for ‘at risk’ young people in Adelaide’s south, so we’re hoping to provide new possibilities for young people in the western suburbs too,” Ms Ranson said. “Many young people drop out of school because of a range of issues, from poverty and family violence to drug addiction and mental health issues. But we can offer very flexible, personal programs to keep them connected to learning and training.”

“We want to break the cycle of poverty which still afflicts many residents in the western suburbs, by engaging young people in meaningful learning and help them plan for their future with a sense of purpose and hope.”

For more information, please contact Terra Lea Ranson on 0403 183 026 or

Chris Rann, Rann Communication, (08) 8211 7771