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The Oasis Youth Support Network’s Crown Streetcentre was flooded with a sea of smiles last Friday the 16^th of December, as our on-site Christmas Party brought together clients, staff and supporters in one huge community celebration of holiday cheer.

With the Oasis car park transformed into an action-packed arena, passers-by could be forgiven for thinking a Christmas carnival had come to town; young and old lined up eagerly to wrestle in sumo suits, battle it out in a gladiator-style joust, tame the mechanical bucking reindeer and jump til their hearts’ content in the huge inflatable castle.

For those who were feeling less energetic, the education centre was converted into an awesome arcade, complete with a funky photo booth and Xbox games to keep entertainment levels at an all-time high.

Also hugely popular was the winter wonderland, where Santa and his elves listened patiently to an endless stream of boys and girls who came with their Christmas wish lists in hand and left with beautiful Santa photos as a precious keepsake.

For many of our young people, wishes were granted immediately, with a trip upstairs to Santa’s gift shop where the racks were overflowing with incredible clothes and accessories from General Pants – up for the taking.

To ensure nobody ran out of steam, the café team kept sausages and skewers sizzling for most of the day. Sweet tooths were also well catered for with an incredible range of tantalising treats including fairy floss, cupcakes, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, lolly stand and soft-serve ice-cream van courtesy of Virgin Mobile.

Those who weren’t occupied eating and playing took time out for well-deserved pampering, with a range of services on offer to suit every request including hairdressers, make-up artists, face-painting and temporary tattooing.

Festivities drew to a close in the afternoon with one final surprise; a huge distribution of Christmas gifts generously donated by businesses, which were happily handed out to our ecstatic (and somewhat tired) young people by the Oasis team.

All in all the day was a massive success and we’d like to send out a huge thank you to the incredible staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly to ensure everything ran smoothly.

We’d also like to spotlight the following companies, without whom this Christmas extravaganza would not have been possible;

Whilst the candles from this year’s Woolworths Carols in the Domain concert may have all but burnt out, the glow of yet another incredibly successful fundraising event continues to warm the hearts of the Oasis team.

Brimming with Christmas spirit, our amazing Oasis volunteers and staff took to the carolling crowd at the Domain on Saturday the 17^th of December and sold over 9,000 candle bags, raising over $125,000 for our life changing programs!

“We were absolutely thrilled to be able to celebrate in this incredibly special night under the stars and would like to sincerely thank Woolworths Carols in the Domain and everyone who purchased the candle bags and helped make a meaningful contribution to our young people,” said Oasis Director Major Robbin Moulds AM.

One of the highlights for Oasis was having Bec and Faleh sing Amazing Grace and True Colours in front of a crowd of thousands in the afternoon’s entertainment line-up. Both gave a performance of a lifetime and wowed the audience with their incredible talent.

 We’re so proud of you Bec and Faleh!

All funds collected from the sale of the candle bags will go directly to    supporting the cutting edge programs we provide thousands of homeless young people every year.

We’d also like to send out a huge thank you to the following companies for generously offering up their amazing teams to the candle bag packing cause:

AXA

Bankwest

Buzz Numbers

CBA

Deloites

Ernst & Young

HSBC

Investa

Medibank

NAB

NRMA

Pepper Homeloans

PPG

PwC

Real Insurance

RBA

Virgin Active

VirginAtlantic

VirginMobile

Woolworths

Obtaining a driver’s license is a monumental achievement in a young person’s life and here at Oasis we’re excited to announce a new partnership between ŠKODA and Carsguide.com.au, who have generously donated three new Yeti cars for our Drive for Life program.

Launched today, the Drive for Life program offers disadvantaged young people the opportunity to achieve the mandatory 120 hours necessary to obtain Red P’s in a safe and positive environment. 

Director of the Oasis Youth Support Network, Major Robbin Moulds AM said, “For many young Australians, getting your drivers’ license is a rite of passage. However, the majority of young people who come to Oasis are without family support networks to teach them to drive, they do not have access to vehicles and cannot afford professional lessons to obtain their license.”

With more than 75 young people on Oasis’ driving waiting list, the generous donation of three dual control ŠKODA Yeti’s will make a significant difference, offering young people the chance to learn the skills necessary to drive safely, responsibly and defensively for life.

“Simply not having anyone to take me driving is what has stopped me from getting my license. I think the program is a great idea. It would really help me in my day to day life from doing things as simple as shopping to just getting around a lot easier” says Isabelle Sclippa, a young woman connected to Oasis’s Pathways employment program.

Drive for Life is a fantastic extension of Oasis’ Driving for Employment program - helping to close the gap of disadvantage for many young people by offering  a wider range of education, training and vocational opportunities that will come through securing a driver’s license.

This program aims to expand nationally through the support of the Oasis Foundation.

The Drive For Life program is heavily dependent on many dedicated volunteer driving instructors who provide valued support, mentorship and time to help our young people complete their hours on a weekly basis.

Organisations and individuals interested in volunteering for the Drive for Life program can contact Oasis via oasisvolunteers@aue.salvationarmy.org or 02 9331 2266.

Visit the Drive for Life website HERE

For more information on ŠKODA, please visit HERE

The team at Oasis are bubbling over in excitement with the announcement of the latest General Pants Co. bubble community challenge.

As of the 1^st of December, General Pants Co. have opened the creative flood gates of the bubble, calling on artists to dig deep this Christmas and create a piece of art that could be proudly hung on the walls of our Streetmedia centre!

The bubble was created in 2008 with the purpose of linking emerging artists with opportunities through a variety of challenges, and has since unearthed over 4,500 artworks from over 2,500 local and international talented artists.

To enter this challenge, artists must create an artwork that best reflects the mission statement of Oasis:

"The Oasis Youth Support Network provides a place of safety and care where, through compassion and skilful intervention, troubled young people find refuge and hope to achieve dreams and potential."

The four winning artworks will be printed onto canvas and displayed permanently within the Streetmedia centre, providing a beautiful source of inspiration for our young people.

So, without further ado; to all our budding and established graphic designers & artists – the General Pants Co. bubble community challenge is for you! We’d love to see YOUR masterpieces on OUR walls. 

You have until 1 February, 2012 to get your entry in. Good luck!!!  

For more details on how to enter click here 

'Tis the season for giving and here at Oasis we’re thrilled to announce that this year Natalie Imbruglia and Kailis jewellery have teamed up to give our young people an incredibly special gift.

Available nationally from 1^st November 2011, the Natalie Imbruglia for Kailis jewellery collection is doubling the joy of giving this Christmas by donating a minimum of $30 from the sale of each exquisite piece to Oasis.

To view or purchase the Natalie Imbruglia for Kailis collection click HERE

Proudly co-designed by Natalie Imbruglia and Kailis Design Director Simon Henderson, the capsule collection of three silver pieces – necklace, bracelet and ring – features lustrous Keshi pearls set in sterling silver with Kailis' signature black diamond.

“The Natalie Imbruglia for Kailis collection is not simply about buying a piece of jewellery but contributing to someone’s life journey,” Sonia MacKay-Coghill, Kailis General Manager says. “In choosing a piece to wear or give, you are directly helping disadvantaged young people and introducing some joy into their world this Christmas.”

Oasis is incredibly grateful to have been named as the beneficiary of this beautiful collaboration and will be allocating all funds raised directly to the support of the Streetmedia program.

A vital training and development program, Streetmedia provides young people with a positive outlet for self-expression and an opportunity to understand and make sense of their story, through a variety of creative mediums.

"Through this fantastic partnership with Natalie and Kailis, we are absolutely thrilled to be able to provide more opportunities for our young people to develop their creativity and confidence through drama, dance, jewellery making, African drumming workshops and so much more," says Major Robbin Moulds, Director of the Oasis Youth Support Network. 

Through the allocation of these funds to the Streetmedia program, Oasis will hope to support more young people as they work through their past to achieve their full potential.

In addition to the pearls, each piece also includes a shamrock – the traditional four-leaf clover symbol of luck and hope. And the necklace design bears Natalie Imbruglia’s personal mantra of “Breathe, Live, Love.”

Through the Streetmedia training program, Oasis plans to bring Natalie’s mantra to life, providing a safe and nurturing space for young people to find their unique voice, inspiration and self-belief.

And if all that news isn’t exciting enough, we have one more pearler for you - Natalie Imbruglia for Kailis is the most affordable collection from Kailis yet!

So this Christmas experience the joy of helping someone else - by literally giving a gift that keeps on giving.

Natalie Imbruglia has been a long-standing ambassador for Virgin Unite and with much interest and passion, continues to lend her support to the issue of youth homelessness in Australia.