Homebake 2011 Welcomes Youngcare Australia

Each and every year HOMEBAKE embraces a number of charities and causes and despite the 16th year celebrations, 2011 will be no different as we welcome the wonderful organisation Youngcare – being a non denominational, non govt, non profit organisation devoted to raising awareness of the plight of young Australians living in aged care.

Youngcare was established in 2005 following the inspirational story of one woman’s battle to find relevant and dignified care. Currently more than 6,500 young Australians (under the age of 65) with full-time care needs are living in aged care simply because there are few alternatives (The Senate Community Affairs Reference Committee 2005). There are also 700,000 more young Australians being cared for at home by family and friends (Australian Institute of Health & Welfare 2007).

All young people deserve to live young lives. Youngcare is committed to raising awareness of the issue across the nation so that we can drive change and create real choices for young Australians and their families. Youngcare’s work includes:

• Raising awareness of the issue and securing support to fund our work
• The Youngcare Connect support and advice hotline to provide support and advice to those who need it most
• Lobbying Government to drive policy change and systems reform
• Providing At Home Care Grants so young people wishing to be cared for at home can receive the equipment, home modifications or respite they need
• Continuing to build more Youngcare accommodation on the Gold Coast; followed by Sydney
• Undertaking Research to more comprehensively understand the issues faced in care options

Being young is about having a lifetime ahead of you, yet aged care is designed for someone who is at the end of their life. The realities of aged care mean a young person will share a residence where the average age is 86 and the average life expectancy is just three years. More importantly, in most cases, their specific care needs will not be met and differ greatly to those of the elderly residents.

For those young people living in aged care, statistics suggest that:

• 44% will receive a visit from friends less than once a year
• 34% will almost never participate in community based activities such as shopping
• 21% will go outside the home less than once a month
  (Di Winkler et al Winkler, D., L. Farnworth, et al. (2006). Australian Health Review)

The issues faced by young people with 24/7 care needs, their families and carers are broad and complex and there are many people in desperate need of assistance. Youngcare believes that there is an urgent need to raise awareness of this national issue to drive change and create real choices in care options for young Australians with full-time care needs.

On the association with Homebake 2011, Marina Vit, Youngcare CEO states.. Youngcare is incredibly excited to be the beneficiary of the 2011 Homebake Music, Film and Arts Festival. The event gives up and coming artists an opportunity to realise their dreams, something Youngcare believes all young people should be able to experience, regardless of their care needs.

Whether you attend, work, play or showcase at Homebake – it’s a festival that epitomises being young. Art, photography, fashion and music, in particular, gives us our memories of being young. But for many young Australians, living a young life is not an option because they have few other options but to live in aged care, where the share a residence with people who on average, are 86 years old and have a life expectancy of just three years,. Not an ideal environment for a young person to be living what’s supposed to be the best years of their lives.

This is why being a part of events such as Homebake is so significant to our work. It gives us a great opportunity to raise awareness of the issue we fight for each day directly to those people who, one day, could be affected.

We’d like to thank the Homebake team for their support and we are calling all Aussies to help us celebrate what it means to be young through the power of music.

All funds raised via the Homebake Signing Tent will be donated to YoungCare.

Please visit YoungCare at www.youngcare.com.au

Homebake 2011 & You Can!

Sony Foundation mobilises national support for youth cancer $15m target to build specialised youth cancer centres in Australia Public call-to-action: donate used mobile phones Sony Foundation Australia, together with CanTeen, is working to improve survival outcomes for young Australians with cancer through their ‘You Can’ campaign.

You Can aims to raise $15 million, through mobile phone recycling, to build youth cancer centres of excellence in Australia. These centres will address the need for specialised care for Australia’s ‘forgotten generation’, 15 – 30 year olds cancer patients.

Sophie Ryan, Sony Foundation Australia, said, “The facts on youth cancer are staggering. One in 100 Australians is diagnosed with cancer before the age of 30, but in the last 25 years there has been no improvement in survival outcomes for the 15 to 30 age group. More can be done.”

How You Can help

It’s simple for the public to get involved. You Can’s primary fundraising mechanic calls on Australians to recycle their old mobile phones – turning trash into much needed funds. It is estimated that there are anywhere from 15 to 20 million unwanted phones in Australian homes. Sony Foundation has partnered with an international recycling company, to swap old mobile phones for cash. All donated phones will be recycled for reuse. That means, once collected, phones will be refurbished and resold. Any mobile phone that cannot be resold will be broken down into its constituent parts and responsibly recycled. So simply by donating an old mobile phone, Australians can directly contribute to You Can’s fundraising appeal, whilst also contributing to a greener planet.

To donate your old phone visit either visit www.youcan.org.au and download the free-post label. Or bring your old phone to Homebake this year. We'll have specially marked bins set up at the entrance where you can throw away your old phone and thereafter feel great knowing you're helping an amazing cause!

For more information on the You Can campaign and how to contribute please visit youcan.org.au