A new partnership between AnglicareSA’s Youth Services team and St John’s Grammar School in Belair is helping create a sense of connection while potentially uncovering the community services workforce of the future.

It was all about school holiday fun on the day, from whipping up a double batch of brownies, or having a kick with a couple of AFLW Crows stars, to arts, crafts, and games, as St John’s Grammar students led activities for 12 young people living in out-of-home care across Adelaide.

AnglicareSA Participation and Wellbeing Coordinator, Rebecca Walker, said the partnership between Youth Services and St John’s Grammar supporting children in out-of-home care was based on mutual aspirations.

“The school, through its Leader of Wellbeing Danielle Kemp, was looking for a service opportunity for their students which was meaningful and a way for them to feel like they were giving back to the community,” Rebecca said.

“At the same time, our team was looking for ways to provide a program for young people living in out-of-home care across Adelaide where they could come along and meet other young people who are there to support and mentor them.

“We also wanted them to be able to hang out and meet other kids who, like them, are living in out-of-home care through various agencies.

“We hear a lot from young people in care that they can feel isolated and alone within the school environment because they don’t know other young people in out-of-home care. This is an opportunity for them to connect with others and build a sense of community.”

Rebecca Walker, Participation and Wellbeing Coordinator, AnglicareSA

St John’s Grammar School Assistant Head of Senior School Brady Lloyd said the school believed in the importance of providing students with an opportunity to look beyond their own worlds and was thankful of the partnership with AnglicareSA.

“We have been able to work together to create a program for students in out-of-home care to build a feeling of connection while also having some holiday fun,” Brady said.

“For our students it’s terrific for them to interact with other young people and take on that leadership role of not only developing the program of activities but then leading and facilitating the sessions also.”

Brady Lloyd, Assistant Head of Senior School, St John’s Grammar School

Brady said more sessions had already been planned for the next school holidays and hoped more young people living in care would be able to benefit as the partnership with AnglicareSA grew into the future.

“We’d love for this to be the beginning of a really close relationship with AnglicareSA, not just through this program but hopefully in other contexts as well.

“Our students have loved hosting the day. This is the start of a terrific connection.”

Being involved in the mentoring project was also a chance for students to gain exposure and understanding of more career options open to them in the community services sector, Rebecca said.

“Just like with our other programs we see the ripple effect of these kinds of experiences in terms of developing a greater understanding of the need in the community as well as possibly choosing different career paths,” she said.

“They may go down the pathway to something like becoming a social worker or youth worker just from the experience in volunteering in programs like this.”

Music has the power to connect people of all backgrounds and generations and AnglicareSA home care customer Ric is keen to get the band back together.

Ric is a regular at several social groups run by AnglicareSA, however the absence of a music group is off key for the passionate musician and karaoke enthusiast so he’s now working with Social Activities team in putting the call out for others to join him.

“When you think about the number of AnglicareSA customers across home care, aged care, and other programs and how many of them are old musicians,” Ric said.

“How many of them played in bands or orchestras and have instruments in the cupboard just collecting dust.

“I want to get them together, get their gear out of the cupboards and join a big band – there would be singers out there too.”

Growing up with a love of music, Ric got his start in the industry at the age of 15 doing sound and lighting at the former Palais Royale on North Terrace.

A move to Sydney saw him immersed in the booming music scene travelling with bands throughout the 1960s and ‘70s as a backing vocalist for the likes of Max Merritt and The Meteors, Dinah Lee, and Ricky May.

“Music brings people together and provides a sense of purpose,” he said. “It’s helped me beat cancer twice – it’s just always been a part of my life and still is.”

Social Activities Coordinator Tash Burczyk said the benefits of social groups went far beyond just remaining active as they also ensured AnglicareSA customers had opportunities to remain connected socially with significant friendships often formed via the groups.

The potential for a new music group, she said, would fill a growing gap in the social calendar.

“We had a choir before Covid that was around 30 strong,” she said. “During Covid it stopped, and a lot of members didn’t come back to the group – even a singing group that replaced it has seen numbers dwindling.

“With Ric coming along with his new ideas around turning it into a music group has just been fantastic.

“We’ve got fliers out now so we’re just waiting for feedback from other customers around who will be interested in that we can start to build that group again.”

Costs of social activities vary depending on your government funding package and the specific group activity, with co-contributions ranging from $1.50 through to $14.50 – still great value for a day out all expenses included.

For more information about how to get involved with the Social Activities please contact 8209 6626.