A huge congratulations to Weave Youth & Community Services, who are celebrating 50 years of walking alongside children, young people, women and families across Redfern, Waterloo, Woolloomooloo and beyond.
Weave is a place-based, community-centred organisation located on unceded Gadigal and Bidjigal Lands, with a deep and long-standing commitment to the communities it works alongside. Its purpose is to support individual and collective wellbeing and healing through consistent, trusted support and genuine care.
Weave began in 1976, when a group of local Aboriginal women in Redfern and Waterloo advocated for better support and opportunities for local young people. Fifty years on, that community-led spirit is still at the heart of everything Weave does.
Today, Weave provides a diverse and holistic range of programs and services for children, young people, women and families, many of whom have been impacted by systemic disadvantage and intergenerational trauma. The challenges people face are complex and often connected, including poverty, homelessness, family breakdown, mental health and substance use issues, racism, discrimination, domestic and family violence, and over-representation in the criminal justice and out-of-home care systems.
Across programs like the Aboriginal Healing Program, Creating Futures Justice Program, Driving Change, Speak Out Dual Diagnosis Program, Weave Kool Kids, the Tutoring Program, Youth Advocates Program, Weave Women & Children’s Centre and Weave Woolloomooloo, Weave provides practical support, advocacy, care and connection.
Weave’s CEO, Siobhan Bryson, tells ISV, “As we acknowledge this special moment in Weave’s history, and look ahead to the future, I want to express my deep gratitude and respect for the generations of people who have been connected to Weave over the years. From the staunch group of women in Redfern/Waterloo, whose advocacy for services for local young people back in 1976 led to the beginning of the Weave journey; to all the women, children, young people, families, staff, Board members, volunteers, supporters, donors and partners who have shaped our services and programs over the past 50 years; who have advocated for what their communities need, showed up for each other in challenging times and celebrated special moments and good times together.”
Having celebrated ISV’s own 50th anniversary last year, we know what a special milestone this is. Fifty years of community work is something to be proud of. It represents generations of relationships, trust, persistence, creativity and showing up when it matters.
Happy birthday, Weave. We are big fans of your work, grateful to walk alongside you in the inner city, and excited to see what comes next.
