Beneficiaries
Current Beneficiaries
We are excited to announce that we will be supporting 5 beneficiaries in 2012. They are:
Hornsby Ku-ring-gai PCYC
The Hornsby Ku-ring-gai PCYC has been supporting young people in the area since 1968. Today the club has over 2,400 members and 6,000 attendances each month.
They provide a range of programs from sporting, martial arts, performing arts, to mentoring and personal development.
Novus funds will be used in 2012 to purchase a new commuter van for transportaton of program participants.
KYDS
Their Counsellors and Psychologists focus on helping young people that need assistances with depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol problems, school problems, family problems, bullying, anger management, self esteem issues, body image, sexuality issues, relationship problems, exam anxiety and HSC stress.
In 2012 the Novus Foundation has welcomed KYDS as a beneficiary for the first time. The focus of support will be the “Young Women’s Program” which won Best Program for Mental Health Promotion in NSW by the Mental Health Association of NSW in 2010.
The five week program is designed to curb the rate of attempted suicides in females in NSW. The 5 week program is run in high schools focusing on body image, stress management, sexual health and drugs and alcohol.
For more information on KYDS, visit their website by clicking here.
StreetWork
StreetWork exists to assist these young people who often come from broken and dysfunctional homes and help them reclaim their lives for a positive future.
Novus funds in 2012 will again be used to fund the successful Kickstart program which provides youth mentoring and early intervention for high risk / high need adolescents between 12 & 18 years of age.
Studio-ARTES Northside
Their mission is to enable members to develop lifelong learning skills, become part of the community and improve their communication ability. This done through targeted programs in the arts, training & employments, social skill development and recreational activities.
Novus is contributing to successful Performing Arts program.
Sydney Adventist Hospital HealthCare Outreach
Sydney Adventist Hospital’s HealthCare Outreach program coordinates volunteer medical, nursing and allied health professionals to undertake medical and surgical procedures in developing countries, where men, women and children otherwise have restricted or no access to medical treatment. Teams also share their expertise and train local medical teams to become self sufficient.
To date, approximately 1750 volunteers have assisted in 103 projects in 12 countries. Over 3000 patients have received life transforming surgery.
In 2012, Novus will provide funds to upgrade urgently required capital equipment upgrades for paediatric and adolescent surgery.
Rotary Club of Wahroonga
The Rotary Club of Wahroonga has over 65 active members and meets every Wednesday morning for breakfast to actively pursue community service projects together.
The club currently supports 16 youth related projects in the local community and also internationally. The focus ranges from leadership development program, camps for disabled children, to international exchange programs.
Novus’ funds will be used to support a number of the existing youth projects already underway within the club.
Updates from Beneficiaries
HealthCare Outreach - Heart-Lung Machine in Action
"Here are some pictures of the heart-lung machine in action on its first adventure to Tonga over the past two weeks. This was purchased with Novus funds from the 2010 dinner.
It took a while to purchase, organise and refit, and then with some trip changes and date switching, it wasn’t until now that we could actually use it.
Needless to say it performed like a dream, our volunteers were over the moon with its performance, and we look forward to it travelling the world for many years to come."
PCYC
"The generosity of the Novus Foundation, and your friendship, is very much appreciated.
Following is a brief report on activities at the PCYC directly related to Novus:
1. The PCYC Police Activity Centre is now complete and we're planning for an official opening in a few weeks time.
2. We are in discussion with StreetWork with regard to running joint activities for youth at risk in the new Police Activity Centre.
3. Studio ARTES is using the PCYC Performing Arts Centre every Friday for their performing arts activity."
Peter Kirkwood JP
President
Hornsby/Ku-ring-gai PCYC
"Many thanks yet again to the Novus Foundation for supporting the PCYC which we very much appreciate. It will go a long way in assisting us to provide worthwhile activities for the young people of the Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby districts as well as surrounding suburbs especially in the field of performing arts.
With over 87,000 young people in Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby municipalities alone, many of whom are living in high rise developments, we believe our work is critical to reducing the incidence of crime by and against young people As you know we are a totally self funded charity which relies heavily on the support of our local community to keep the doors open and grow our activities in the face of ever increasing costs. It can’t be done without the help of organisations such as Novus and Rotary."
Chris Perry
Manager
Hornsby Ku-ring-gai PCYC
Becoming a Beneficiary
Expressions of interest were not called for by the board for 2012 beneficiaries. The board has decided to work strategically with specific organisations that they feel are closely aligned with the purpose and goals of the Novus Foundation.
Please contact us for more information.
Previous Beneficiaries
We are proud to have been able to support a number of locally based organisations in the past that are all investing in youth.
Bear Cottage
Bear Cottage is located in Manly and is NSW’s only children’s hospice. It is designed as a large beach home, with specialist medical care available 24 hours a day.It provides families with children and young people with life-limiting illnesses with a place of rest and support. Daily tasks are supported by staff and volunteers so that families can spend as much quality time as possible together.
Funds raised by Novus in 2010 supported additional nursing staff at Bear Cottage.
Sydney Adventist Hospital HealthCare Outreach
In 1986 a small group of hospital medical and nursing staff travelled to Tonga, indignant that life saving cardiac procedures easily accessible in Australia were not available in the South Pacific.
This was the start of the HealthCare Outreach program at Sydney Adventist Hospital. Iunce then, they have help over 3000 patients in developing countries access cardiac, orthopaedic, women’s health, and burns scar contracture surgery. Well over half of these patients have been young people.
Without the HealthCare Outreach teams of volunteers, many of these patients would not have survived, and at best most would not be able to lead the active and productive lives that they are now leading.
The Novus Foundation has supported the program with the purchase of capital equipment that will travel with the teams overseas, and the costs of providing surgery to paediatric and adolescent children to allow them the opportunity to live a healthy life.
For more information about the HealthCare Outreach program, click here to visit their website.
PCYC Centre for Performing Arts Hornsby/Ku-ring-gai
On the former site of Hornsby Bowling Club, the Hornsby/Ku-ring-gai Police and Community Youth Club established a Performing Arts Centre in February 2010.
The site has introduced much needed performing acts activities for the young people of the Hornsby/Ku-ring-gai area.
There are currently five performing arts programs, and with recent renovations this will no doubt grow into the future. The centre also contains a fully functional theatre with seating for 150.
The Novus Foundation was excited to be involved in the financial support of this exciting new initiative for the club.
Visit their website by clicking here for more information about the club.
Streetwork
Streetwork is a non-denominational Christian charity assisting youth 12-25 years old who are at risk, marginalised or youth offenders gravitating to the North Shore and Northern Beaches. Streetwork aim to break the cycle of crime, violence, destructive family relationships, rejection and isolation, learning difficulties, poor employment opportunities and substance abuse.
Streetwork offers an innovative array of services addressing issues at their core, not just treating the symptoms. Youth workers are professionally trained to manage multiple issues and equipped to walk beside young people, empowering them to make good choices and leading them away from negative and destructive influences and behaviours.
The Novus Foundation support has assisted Streetwork to employ an additional youth worker, and to fund their successful and important KickStart program.
You can visit Streetwork’s website by clicking here to learn more about the work they are doing in the community.
Wahroonga Rotary
The Novus Foundation is proud have supported the work of Wahroonga Rotary each year since Novus’ inception in 2006.
The Novus Foundation supports allows the Rotary Club to fund a number of youth related programs. Two such programs are the RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award) and RYPEN (Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment).
RYLA is a premier youth leadership development program designed to promote proactively, personal and professional development of Australian youth aged 19-24, who have already been identified with exceptional leadership potential.
RYLA is a challenging 7 day program and recruits on the highest calibre of young people. This program offers RYLAians the chance to access some of Australia's most influential and motivational speakers in a variety of fields.
RYLA graduates are able to:
- Be effective leaders in all types of situations
- Define their personal values and ambitions more clearly
- Promote themselves, their ideas and their values more effectively
- Inspire themselves and other to achieve their goals
- Are empowered to continue more fully to their work,social and/or other commitments
In today’s competitive world, there are not always opportunities for the average student to step outside their comfort zone, explore their ideas to develop the “life skills” that translate to confidence in everyday life.
RYPEN aims to provide young people aged 14 to 16 years with the opportunity to develop their leadership potential, alongside their peers in a supportive environment. RYPEN encourages awardees to explore their ideas in problem solving, team and group activities, and gain experiences that will assist them in forming their own values and moral standards. As a part of this, RYPEN is about building confidence and developing skills to cope in a range of situations.
RYPEN is also about having fun and broadening the cultural, social and academic horizons of participants.
Australasian Research Institute
The Australasian Research Institute (ARI) was launched in 2004 as an integrated multidisciplinary research centre that facilitates, coordinates and conducts innovative and developmental activities generally involving wide collaboration with a focus on human benefits.
The Novus Foundation supported ARI with projects in 2007 and in 2008.
In 2007, Novus Foundation supported the ARI’s study into childhood obesity. In 2008, a study on the links between food and mood was also supported.
An increasing proportion of children and youth are being treated for depression, anxiety, eating disorders and obesity. With depression being the strongest single risk factor for attempted or completed suicide and substance abuse, strategies to reduce the experience of depression among young people is essential.
As with most research projects it does take time for the results to be published. We are looking forward to seeing the outcomes of the research.
You can visit ARI’s website by clicking here.
Hornsby/Ku-ring-gai PCYC
The Police and Community Youth Club was initially established in 1937 in partnership with the Rotary Club of Sydney. The Hornsby/Ku-ring-gai club was established in August 1967.
The club provides young people with a venue to engage in healthy sporting, cultural and recreational pursuits and is Australia’s leading youth development organisation with 59 clubs and over 54,000 members.
The Novus Foundation supported the Hornsby/Ku-ring-gai PCYC in 2009. It supported a dedicated activities area on the Hornsby site, two part time youth counsellors and some much needed funding for the Kick Start and Ending Offending programs that the PCYC has successfully run for some time.
Check out their website by clicking here for more information.
Sydney Adventist Hospital
As NSW’s largest single campus private hospital, Sydney Adventist Hospital is proud to be an award winning facility offering access to world class doctors, nurses and other health professionals dedicated to patients’ welfare.
As a not-for-profit organisation, caring for their patients needs is the first priority. This spirit of caring is reflected in their mission: “Christianity in Action – caring for the body, mind and spirit of our patients, colleagues, community and ourselves.” The Hospital first started in 1903 as a ‘Sanitarium’ to provide a place of healing where people learned to stay well, and since then we have been affectionately known as ’The San’.
They aim to care for individuals in a holistic manner - nurturing mental, spiritual and physical wholeness, promoting healthy living, providing healing treatments and touching people’s lives through compassionate and expert care.
In 2007, The Novus Foundation supported the Special Care Nursery at Sydney Adventist Hospital with the purchase of a specialist natal ventilator and monitoring system.
Visit their website by clicking here.