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Whilst the rain may have dampened the event venue it certainly didn’t dampen the spirits of the incredible crowd who braved the deluge to attend the inaugural launch of our new fundraising and awareness campaign – The Couch Project!

Transformed overnight, the Oasis education centre went from quiet classroom to a bustling living room, filled with twenty couches and more friends, family, staff and young people than could squeeze onto their faded cushions.

Our incredible MC for the day, James Kerley kicked off the launch, expertly introducing the inspiring array of speakers – Oasis Director, Major Robbin Moulds AM, Oasis Schools Liaison, Bianca Orsini and State Member for Hornsby, Matt Kean – who each motivated the audience to jump aboard the couch project and start spreading the word.

With a staggering 32,000 young Australians homeless and 14,000 of those living on the couches of friends, dealers and worse, The Couch Project aims to peel back the lid on youth homelessness in Australia in order to expose the hidden issue of couch surfing.

 “Unfortunately there is a misconception that if you are homeless you sleep on the street. We want people to understand that you don’t have to be houseless to be homeless,” explained Major Robbin Moulds.

“In addition we want to convey that sleeping on a couch is not a safe or stable option for homeless young Australians. In some cases this is every bit as dangerous as sleeping on the streets,” she continued.

The Couch Project is your opportunity to take action - help us raise awareness of youth homelessness and rebuild young lives!

We’re asking Australia to spend the evening of Friday 8 June 2012 sleeping on the couch to help Oasis raise awareness of and combat youth homelessness.

All funds raised will go directly to supporting the cutting edge programs Oasis provides to assist homeless young people rebuild their lives.

For more information on The Couch Project or to register now go to www.thecouchproject.com.au.

What do Sir Richard Branson, Natalie Imbruglia, ksubi and Oasis’s Dean Good have in common? All four of them have worked with Virgin Mobile Australia to create limited edition mobile phone covers to help raise awareness of and combat youth homelessness.

Now in its second year, Covers for a Cause is an incredible joint initiative between Virgin Mobile Australia and Oasis which invites the community to “make a statement and make a difference”.

On sale nationally today, all proceeds from the sale of each of the uniquely designed phone covers will go directly to supporting the life changing services Oasis provides to disadvantaged and homeless young people every day of the year.

This year, Virgin Mobile have worked with some wonderfully inspirational people who feel very strongly about the issue of youth homelessness in bringing this initiative to life.

Sir Richard Branson, Natalie Imbruglia, ksubi and Dean Good have all designed covers taking inspiration from the theme of 'Dreams' and what this represents to them in each of their lives. Watch what they had to say about Covers for a Cause here.

For Dean, who first came to Oasis at the age of 16 after jumping between various youth support services, the theme of ‘Dreams’ inspired an awesome “Ace of Spades” design.

“As much as you can prepare and plan, I feel that there is always an element of luck involved in achieving your dreams, so I wanted to run with that theme in my design. Life can also be a gamble and having an Ace of Spades in my back pocket will hopefully bring me the luck I need to achieve my dreams,” says Dean.

Continuing his charity involvement with Virgin Mobile, Sir Richard Branson says, “Covers for a Cause reminds us all that the young people who find their way to Oasis are homeless, not helpless. If we make enough noise we can shine a light on this important issue and help put an end to youth homelessness. That’s my dream.”

Virgin Mobile’s Covers for a Cause are now on sale in Virgin Mobile stores nationally and online for $35.00 and will be available for iPhone 4/4S, Samsung Galaxy S2 and Sony Ericsson Arc.

Now in its second year, The Homeless Short Film Competition is a national competition for secondary school students and part of the on‐going philanthropic initiative, which aims to raise awareness about homelessness in our community.

Since THE OASIS documentary and youth homelessness initiative was launched, Shark Island Productions in collaboration with The Caledonia Foundation, and a number of philanthropic and community partners, have focussed on continuing to raise awareness of homelessness.

 “The Homeless Short Film Competition is a vital part of our strategy to engage young Australians in this important social justice issue, along with the THE OASIS Schools Curriculum Resources, which have been made available to every secondary school around Australia.

Through school curriculum programs supporting teachers and involving young people, the long term aim is to prevent and solve youth homelessness. And, increasingly more students are inspired to raise funds, volunteer and engage their local community in the effort to address the issue.” said Ian Darling, award winning documentary filmmaker and Director of Shark Island Productions.

Shark Island Productions provides a total prize of $25,000 for the competition. Last year’s first prize of $7,000 was awarded to Harristown State High in Queensland. The student Warwick Beanland’s winning film “ Homeless” can be viewed on the Shark Island Youtube channel.

The judging panel for the film competition includes Patron and Co Artistic Director of Sydney Theatre Company, Cate Blanchett, Chair of The Caledonia Foundation and AFI‐Award winning documentary filmmaker with Shark Island Productions Ian Darling, Oasis Schools Liaison Officer and former Oasis client Bee Orsini, and Major Robbin Moulds, AM, Director of The Oasis Youth Support Network.

Also announced today, is the launch of THE OASIS Schools Teacher Resource “Teaching Social Issues through English” written by the English Teachers Association NSW.

Eva Gold, Executive Officer, says “One aspect of the rationale for English as a compulsory subject is that through engaging with texts,students develop the resources for informed, capable and active citizenship. THE OASIS documentary compels the viewer to engage with youth homelessness and the activities in the resource provide students with the support to try to do something about it.”

With entries now open, the time to start filming is now! Visit The Oasis website for more information.

To view all the finalist films in 2011, click here.

We’re super excited to announce that this year, Oasis is a proud Gold Charity supporter of the Sun-Herald City2Surf!

To share in the excitement we have 5 Golden Tickets up for grabs for our incredible fundraising runners who want to jump the queue.

A golden ticket entry gives you:

• An early bird spot in the City2Surf ahead of general entries which open in May.
• A head start in reaching your fundraising target.
• A special place in Gold Charity start group (ahead of the general pack) with unique gold bibs on race day.
• An Oasis running t-shirt or singlet and special event cheering area.
• Support and encouragement every step of the way as you embark on your fitness and fundraising journey (fundraising pack, hints and tips, regular updates).

If you are interested in applying for a golden ticket you need to tell us why supporting Oasis is important to you. We also ask that you commit to fundraising a minimum of $1000 ($250 of which needs to be raised in the first two weeks to cover entry fee).

The City2Surf will be held on Sunday August 12, 2012 and consists of a scenic 14km route from Sydney’s CBD to Bondi Beach.

We are always inspired and humbled by our valuable Team Oasis runners, who continue to set the benchmark high and inspire others to do the same.

By joining us on this amazing fitness and fundraising journey, you will directly make a meaningful contribution to a homeless young person and to the Oasis community at large.

Interested in a Golden Ticket? Click to apply, email or contact us on 02 8353 9407 to register your interest.

With only 5 tickets up for grabs make sure you get in quick!

Team Oasis

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 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.