NEWS
A New Years Message from BYA

On behalf of BYA, I wish all our BYA ‘extended family’ a very happy new year.
2024 was a fantastic year for BYA. We were able to make 5906 connections with young people over the year, through our counselling, case management, school programs, traineeships and workshops!
Now after time to rest, rejuvenate, and re-energise BYA has some exciting plans for the new year, allowing us to support even more young people in 2025.
The biggest news is that our incredible CEO, Lisa Burgess, will re-define her role, doing more of what she loves, which is connecting with young people. Lisa has taken BYA from strength to strength over the past 5 years. She has brought so much to the role, with her key strengths being commitment, compassion, communication and enthusiasm. We are absolutely delighted to have Lisa focus on youth engagement and collaboration, in her new position as Youth Engagement Coordinator. Our young people are the centre of everything BYA does, and Lisa is the perfect person to ensure that we can harness their wisdom and meet their needs.
We are excited to welcome Tara Eastep as our new CEO. Tara has recently moved to Bridgetown, and brings with her a wealth of experience leading not-for-profit organisations around the world. Tara is kind, empathetic, and is committed to ensuring our team reaches its fullest potential.
She and Lisa are going to be a formidable team!
Finally, with enormous gratitude, we know that we couldn’t do a fraction of what we do without the support of our community. Our volunteers are the backbone of BYA, and the donations and purchases you contribute to the Op Shop make a huge difference to our service capacity. We thank the many, many people who, in countless ways, have contributed to BYA, allowing us ‘to be the best we can be’.
Thank you, everyone, for your support and we look forward to continuing to deliver quality services to our local young people in the year ahead.
With warmest regards,
Rebecca Jones
Chair, BYA
RYDE Program will be back in 2025
We are all booked up for this year, however due to funding coming from the Department of Transport, we will be back, bigger and better in 2025. If you would like to be be added to our contact list for 2025, please email programs@blackwoodyouthaction.com.au .

Friday Arvo Chill’s starting this week!

We are finalists!!
Incredible news! BYA have made it to Final 4!
We’re finalists in the Awards Australia Community Group Community Achievement Awards for Regional Western Australia.
Winners announce on 22nd November – please keep your fingers crossed for us until then

Our impact in 2023/24
We are so proud of impact and reach across the Warren Blackwood Region.
Check out our Annual Report here.

We would love you to come and join our Op Shop Volunteer Team!

Thank you to our Bridgetown Community
We would like to thank our local Bridgetown community for their generous fundraising support.
Over $1,200 was raised, allowing 14 young people to enjoy a day of fun and connection at Aerial Adventures Pemberton.
Check out the pics here.

Term 4 BYA Creatives Schedule – Bridgetown
Bookings Essential.

Term 4 BYA Creatives Schedule – Manjimup
Bookings essential


Vaping – info for Young People and Parents/Carers
Parents and Carers
For information on Vaping, including how to talk to your young people about it, click on the Factsheet link below.
Factsheet – Vaping and Young People Facts and Carers

Vapes can be colourful and look like other items like highlighter pens and USB sticks