The Visy Cares Hub is a one-stop-shop offering a diverse range of services to young people between the ages of 12-25 years.

Operating collaboratively under the one roof we aim to reduce travel to multiple destinations and provide a seamless service that meets young peoples needs in the Western Suburbs of Melbourne.


Within the Visy Cares Hub there are 10 different services that all assist young people. If there is a need that cannot be met within the Visy Cares Hub then referrals can be generated to appropriate services. The agencies that are currently residing within the Visy Cares Hub are:

• Arodoch Youth Foundation
• Brimbank Youth Services YMCA
• Centre for Multicultural Youth
• Centrelink
• headspace Western Melbourne
• Melbourne Citymission,
• Robert Stary Lawyers (Criminal Lawyers)
• Sunshine Youth Housing
• Sunshine Youth Legal Centre
• Victoria University,
• and Visy Cares Hub Programs.

The Up Front YOUth Festival is a recreational festival for National Youth Week 2010 consisting of an Indoor Male Soccer Tournament, Basketball Competition, Cricket Victoria running clinics, AFL Football Clinics. Along with the recreational activities, the Police Citizens and Youth Club will be re-launching the Brimbank Street Surfer Bus back into Sunshine and running art competitions; there will also be a free BBQ, Drinks, Karaoke Machine, Sumo Wrestling, Horizontal Bungee, Obstacle Course, Show Bags, Arts Exhibition & Workshops, Raffles with prizes and much more. The festival will take place on Saturday 17th April from 11am – 4pm. It is completely FREE. All young men wanting to participate in the soccer tournament need to be at the festival at 10:00am for registration. The Up Front YOUth Festival will be held at West Sunshine Community Centre, 25 Kermeen Street, Sunshine West.

This festival is being proudly supported by:
- Department of Planning and Community Development (National Youth Week Funding 2010)
- Youth Beyond Blue
- Sunshine Plaza
- Westpac Sunshine Branch
- Stockdale & Leggo Sunshine Branch
- Brimbank City Council
- City West Water
- Spirit West Services Western Bulldogs Football Club
- Cricket Victoria
- Bakers Delight Sunshine
- Westside Entertainment Union
- Brimbank PCYC
- Brimbank Youth Services YMCA
- Centre for Multicultural Youth, and
- Coles

The ‘Off Street Festival’ on Saturday 28th November 2009 was a great success.
Many thanks to our sponsors and supporters for making they day so enjoyable. Big thanks go out to Jonathan Welch and all the staff who organised Social Inclusion week and the National Street party, for which we were honored to be part of.
We also need to thank NuLab professional Imaging who printed the photographs for the photography exhibition. Congratulations to Elizabeth Ceballos for winning the people's choice award to her photograph. She received a Photography book and a fantastic bag which was donated by Crumpler. Also a big congratulations goes out to Stephanie Gillibrand who won a years membership to the Centre of Contemporary Photography and the new Frankie photographic book, she received the prize for most committed participant, she never missed a class and was wholly committed to the program.


This event was proudly supported by:

• The Youth Junction Inc.,
• Social Inclusion Week Australia,
• Victoria Police,
• Brimbank City Council,
• Woolworths, &
• Kelly Sports.

The Visy Cares Hub was proud to host the Winter Expo which was an art festival in celebration of International Youth Day 2009 organised by The Youth Junction Inc.

The Winter Expo saw over 20 young people demonstrate their creativity by submitting works, created within the programs offered at the Visy Cares Hub, to the art exhibition. The Visy Cares Hubs Hip Hop Crew also demonstrated their new moves as an opening to the night, along with the MC Girls rapping-up a storm. There was also the launch of the MC Girls new CD where three of the young stars wrote and recorded songs.

There were over 150 young people and their families in attendance and we would like to thank the following for attending:

• Cr. Troy Atanasovski (Mayor - Brimbank City Council),
• Cr. Tran Siu (Deputy Mayor - Brimbank City Council), and
• Cr. Michael Clarke (Mayor - Maribyrnong City Council).

For National Youth Week 2009, the Visy Cares Hub ran a huge festival in celebration of all that young people have to offer. There were over 300 young people and their families in attendance, all taking advantage of the Free BBQ, Huge Free Amusements
Horizontal Bungee and Sumo Wrestling, Hip Hop Dancing, Indoor Soccer
Graffiti Competition, Live DJ, MC Workshops and Live Performances.


There was also a raffle ticket competition and two very lucky young people won IPod's.

The winners of the Indoor Soccer Competition were the 'CCCC' and they were able to take away with them a hamper loaded with soccer goods (soccer balls, shin pads, whistles, and goal keeper gloves).

It was held at West Sunshine Community Centre, and the Visy Cares Hub is very grateful to the centre for allowing us to use their facilities.

The Visy Cares Hub is also greatful to
the following supporters who assisted in funding the event and supporting the event:

• Newsboys Foundation,
• Brimbank City Council,
• headspace Western Melbourne, and
• Sports Without Borders.

The Visy Cares Hub believes that true partnership occurs when all youth services are working together and aiming towards the similar goals of supporting young people to the best of their abilities.
There are many youth support agencies available to young people in Victoria and below are a list of websites which a young person can access for further support if the Visy Cares Hub does not have a service to assist with a certain problem.
If any of the services below require referral then the Visy Cares Hub is more then happy to refer any young people to these services.

The Brimbank Youth Services Directory can be located on this link and it provides a detailed overview of all services within the municipality of Brimbank and beyond. Youth Services Directory

Frontyard Youth Services are of a similar set-up as the Visy Cares Hub whereby there are a number of youth services located within the one facility. They work with young people from the City of Melbourne and if you follow this link you will be able to find out more about the services they offer. Frontyard Youth Services

To view all youth services within Victoria, and even Australia, then please follow this link to the Infoxchange website you will be able to type in the exact service you are trying to locate. Infoxchange Service Seeker

If you are still requiring further assistance then the staff at the Visy Cares Hub are always here to help and never feel that you have to go through your own personal troubles alone. The Visy Cares Hub is only a phone call or email away.