It was a picture-perfect Friday afternoon in November when 12 young people from AnglicareSA’s Launch180 and Post Care Pathways programs set sail from Glenelg to Marino Rocks on a “Memory Making Trip”.

The Post Care Pathways program was recognised at the Anglicare Australia Awards in September, taking home the Excellence award, with the Youth Services team using the prize money to fund the sailing trip.

Post Care Pathways provides a housing-first option that focuses on supporting young care leavers between 18 and 25 years, while Launch 180 supports young people aged 16 and 17 intensively while they learn to manage the realities of living independently supporting them to build their confidence, knowledge, and necessary skills as they transition out of the care system.

Jenna Masi, Leaving and Post Care Manager, said the cruise was an opportunity to create positive, lasting memories that many of them had never had the chance to experience.

“Many of these young people have spent much of their lives in care, enduring painful experiences that no child should ever face,” Jenna said.

“These moments of trauma often leave them without the anchor of positive memories that so many of us take for granted.

“For these young people, this trip was more than just sailing. It was a real possible moment of healing and a rare opportunity to create new memories, ones that they can cherish and look back on with joy.”

AnglicareSA CEO Grant Reubenicht was dockside to wish them well on their cruise aboard Temptation Sailing, and the weather played its part too with barely a cloud in the sky and sunshine bathing the deck.

Jenna said the young people chatted, laughed, and shared their stories as they followed the Adelaide coastline.

After the cruise, many said it was something outside their comfort zone, but an experience they would love to have again.

Jenna said the trip served as a reminder of how important it was to provide opportunities like these to young people supported by AnglicareSA.

“Healing doesn’t just come from therapy or support services, it also comes from creating safe, joyful moments where they can begin to imagine a different future,” Jenna said.

“We must continue to find ways to make these kinds of experiences accessible to all young people, especially those who have faced the deepest challenges.

“Our young people deserve the chance to heal, grow, and create memories that will stay with them forever for the best possible reasons.”

Jenna thanked all those who helped make the trip possible, in particular CEO Grant Reubenicht, Anglicare Australia, and award sponsor Ansvar.