Our history

We've Been Supporting Central Coast Young People For Over 33 Years

1986-1990- Gosford Youth Services was formed in 1986. In1989 the service consisted of one-part time youth worker providing support to the new housing estate in Kariong.
Gosford City Youth Services was set up with funds from the NSW Government in 1986. Sandra Braithwaite oversaw the start of the project in her role of Youth Development Officer with Gosford City Council. Sally Jope was employed with Youth Worker Malcolm and started engaging with young people 12-18 years at Kariong and Kincumber. At Kariong they met in the hall on the grounds of the then Mt Penang Juvenile Justice centre and in Kincumber they met in the cottage that was the community centre. Providing weekly drop in centres at both places and additional excursions and events with young people.

By 1993 GYS was operating new, permanent youth centres in Wyoming and Kincumber, and in June of that year began a youth coffee shop at Kincumber centre. During the early 1990's GYS was very active in juvenile crime prevention, operating a valuable discussion group for truants, as well as providing several arts workshops and programs in Kariong, Wyoming and Kincumber. A new venture begun with GYS support of Wyong-Gosford Youth Radio which also served as base for the youth group meetings. Programs Actors With Attitude, Memories Music Magic, Youth Radio, Youth Newspaper, Young Actors, Youth Coffee Shop, Out of the night & into the light Graffiti Project, Visual Art Classes

In 1989 GYS initiated NSW first mobile youth centre targeting geographically isolated families. The mobile Youth centre project ran drop in sessions from Kariong radio shack, Springfield Primary School, The Ronald Ave church hall, and Wyoming and Kincumber neighbourhood centre. The groups were established to take services to young people where they were and set the scene for establishing permanent youth facilities.
In 1993 Kim McLoughry was employed as the first Wyoming Youth Centre Coordinator, and worked with three staff in GYS Donnison Street Gosford office and Kincumber Youth
Centre.

In 1996 GYS established a youth cafe, The Labyrinth, in Gosford CBD as well as setting up a new 'shop front' youth service access point in the same building. Thanks to the support of St George Foundation and several other new partners-including numerous local Rotary clubs and the Inspire Foundation. The Labyrinth provided a free, readily accessible and independent space for young people in Gosford for over three years. The space not only created a social space but also a venue for art events, poetry readings, live music performances and visual art exhibitions. The Labyrinth in Gosford CBD created a culture for Gosford Youth and created innovative projects that combatted youth issues.

In 1998 Gosford Youth Services became Regional Youth Support Services Inc reflecting the increasingly broad range of services offered and the widening geographical distribution of the communities benefiting from our services. By this time the success of The Labyrinth as a youth cafe and the parallel success of the youth programs being offered contributed to RYSS developing the concepts of a youth-run business enterprise (in the form of a restaurant) and a standalone multi-purpose youth facility.

1999 - 2001 Donnison's on the Park provided industry training and jobs for young people. The further development of a potential youth business was facilitated in 1999 by RYSS and ET Australia forming a partnership to bid for the breakthrough' funds offered by the Foundation for Young Australians. This secured $250,000 over 4 years to set up the restaurant. Through consultation with the Gosford Chamber of Commerce a likely venue was identified in the vintage Kibble Park Tea Rooms in Gosford CBD, a building owned by Gosford City Council. With Council's support, 'Donnison's on the Park' opened in 2002, employing 3 casuals and 3 permanent full-time staff, all aged under 25. Over 150 people worked at the restaurant in it's 5 years of operation.

In 2001 Gosford City Council purchased the Parkside Centre, a defunct shopping centre in the heart of Gosford CBD, to provide a base for the multi-purpose youth services facility. Parkside now houses six youth service providers including RYSS, ET Australia, Vertico Traineeships, After Care Resource Centre, Relationships Australia, Options Disability Services and ET Australia Secondary College with an upper level warehouse space converted by RYSS in 2007 into the Youth Arts Warehouse. In 2007 the shadow spokesman for the Arts Peter Garrett joined Federal Member for Robertson, Jim Lloyd, Minister for Central Coast, Grant McBride and Gosford City Mayor Laurie Maher at the official opening of The Youth Arts Warehouse. Five years and $500,000 in the making, the dream of having a Multi Art facility for young people was realised.

2011 - 2016 Since the purchase and development of Parkside, RYSS has continued to provide innovative and effective programs for young people on the Central Coast across a broad range of fields. RYSS today has a CEO position and an Operations Manager, five Team Leader/Co-ordinator positions- Abilities, Early Intervention Placement Prevention Program, Indigenous Justice Program, Wyoming Youth Centre and The Youth Arts Warehouse Coordinator. Wyoming Youth Centre opened the Woodshed and transferred from a drop in centre to a Skills based centre in 2015. RYSS now is a larger support team of twelve permanent staff and twenty five casual/part time staff. In 2016 RYSS went full circle and in December 2016 launched it’s first mobile youth centre since the early day's in the form of a full size transit bus.

The last thirty three years of Regional Youth Support Services Inc has been an amazing journey. The innovation will continue with a great team of staff and volunteers and enormous community support for this worthy suite of services. Partnerships will continue to evolve and new programs are under development based on the vast knowledge and skills held at RYSS. The launch of the BUS project- a full sized transit Bus equipped as a child, youth and family mobile centre is significant in moving the agency and our partnerships forward. The Bus (Together Helping Everyone Better Utilise Services) project takes our partnerships and RYSS services on the road and will be a high profile signature project for our agency.

Latest

Ngaliya

Ngaliya is our new Cultural Connections program by the Indigenous Justice Program. It focuses on bringing at-risk Indigenous young people aged 16 - 18 together for weekly activities and workshops to connect and engage with their culture and community.
Youth Collective

The Central Coast Youth Collective is a collection of supports that will offer a 3-tiered, multi-agency approach to support good mental health and reduce the risk of suicide within our younger community by directly addressing elements which impact it.
Take Charge

Take charge is a weekly program designed to help young people build independence and take charge of their abilities! Take Charge looks at building some of the most important life skills young people require in their quest to further their independence. This program builds confidence, knowledge, and ability – all in a positive, safe, social environment, with like-minded peers. It's time to boost your confidence and TAKE CHARGE!
The BUSking Project

The RYSS BUSking Project is finally here!! We have big plans to help young people across the Central Coast to capture and share their voices and musical talents with the World! Young musicians aged 12-25 from the Central Coast region can submit a video or recording of a song. It could be a cover or original music; you could be a solo artist or a group act. We would like to share the videos across multiple web and social platforms giving our region’s young musical talent the exposure it deserves.

Contacting Us

At RYSS we understand that many people are feeling anxious and isolated in this time of uncertainty. We want to assure the community that we are still open and operating to support children, young people and their families over the whole Central Coast Region, giving them better access to services and supports.
Youth Action Youth Work Awards Winners!

It was a proud moment for all at Regional Youth Support Services when our work was nominated and awarded at the 2019 NSW Youth Work Awards. We are extremely happy to win the award for “Outstanding Youth Participation” for the work of The RYSS BUS. A huge congratulations goes to the RYSS BUS Crew who do a fabulous job engaging the young people in our community and continue to pioneer best practice for Youth Outreach Engagement across the Central Coast.
Abilities Online Cooking Group

Each week participants will receive their own delivered ingredients pack and a step by step written recipe for that week's cook. They will then have access to a scheduled LIVE online zoom meeting where our qualified chef facilitator will be able to assist them step by step through the recipe, and they can interact with other participants showing off their cooking skills and their culinary masterpieces and increase independence with the opportunity to prepare and cook and meal for loved ones.
Indigenous Artwork Competition Winners!

We are excited to announce the winner and highly commended for our Indigenous Artwork Competition. It was so hard to decide so we have chosen two artworks! One being a chosen representative design for the RYSS RAP (Reconciliation Action Plan) and the other is highly commended for reconciliation messaging. Congratulations to our winners.
Ngaliya

Ngaliya is our new Cultural Connections program by the Indigenous Justice Program. It focuses on bringing at-risk Indigenous young people aged 16 - 18 together for weekly activities and workshops to connect and engage with their culture and community.
The BUSking Project

The RYSS BUSking Project is finally here!! We have big plans to help young people across the Central Coast to capture and share their voices and musical talents with the World! Young musicians aged 12-25 from the Central Coast region can submit a video or recording of a song. It could be a cover or original music; you could be a solo artist or a group act. We would like to share the videos across multiple web and social platforms giving our region’s young musical talent the exposure it deserves.
Metro Fest

Metro Fest an all ages, drug and alcohol free, mini festival that brought good vibes to the Youth Arts Warehouse in Winter 2019. A double headliner with Sydney based Gold Member and local legends The Moving Stills who were supported by three class acts that are emerging onto the scene, Loose Leeches, Turtle Custard and Aw Heck! 'Gossy Good Times' were had by all!
Youth Week 2020

Well its not the year for the normal kind of Youth Week celebrations with events cancelled and everyone having to STAY AT HOME! But we have put some ideas together we can all celebrate Youth and participate in this years theme, Speak up. Be involved. Get connected. Have fun. We hope you find some inspiration with these recommendations and it makes social isolation the little bit easier!
Donate

RYSS is a not-for-profit regional community organisation based on the Central Coast serving the region to help young people who are vulnerable and at risk in our community for over 3 decades! Making a donation to RYSS will assist us in providing quality support services for those in our community who need it most.
Take Charge

Take charge is a weekly program designed to help young people build independence and take charge of their abilities! Take Charge looks at building some of the most important life skills young people require in their quest to further their independence. This program builds confidence, knowledge, and ability – all in a positive, safe, social environment, with like-minded peers. It's time to boost your confidence and TAKE CHARGE!