Western Sydney Giants and Ladder Step Up extend program to Southern Tablelands

The state government announced this week that $750,000 would be extended for the Ladder Step Up initiative, which supports youth aged 15 to 20 in out of home care to reach their full potential.

It will allow the program to be extended to regional NSW, including Goulburn, Yass and Queanbeyan.

Players and support staff will visit communities, mentor, undertake activities and provide support for youth in the sector.

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Families and Communities minister, Natasha McLaren Jones and Goulburn MP Wendy Tuckerman announced the funding this week. However the money would not become available to Ladder Step Up until July 1, the former's office confirmed.

It followed the initiative's success in western Sydney, where Ladder has run it in partnership with the Giants since 2016.

Ladder CEO Stephanie De Campo said studies had found that participants showed significant improvements in "independent living, self efficacy, community connections, health and wellbeing, education, training and employment."

GWS Giants head of Canberra operations, Jack Masters, said the club already ran school programs in Goulburn and the Southern Tablelands and hosted many community events.

"The region is very important to us and we're committed to it," he said.

"...In western Sydney we have our high performance training centre where the club is based. It's a great opportunity to expose young adults trying to find their way, to AFL.

"You never know where an experience can take you and sometimes you need inspiration on a direction to take. In western Sydney, we regularly bring participants through and the feedback is fantastic."

Eighteen-year-old Tiago Gigi-Correia from western Sydney can vouch for that.

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The former foster child said he learnt valuable life skills, participated in fun activities and mixed with the Giants players. Associated financial assistance grants also helped with rent and bills when he moved into independent living.

Now, Tiago is a Ladder Step Up mentor, helping others take full advantage of the program.

"It's been great. They've taken me in and helped me a lot," he said.

Ladder Step Up was an AFL initiative and an extension of the Ladder program, founded more than 10 years ago.

Ms De Campo said while funding wouldn't be released until July, planning could begin.

Consultation will start in coming months with the community services sector, police and education providers to gauge needs.

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"It won't be a cookie cutter approach using the Western Sydney model," she said.

"It's important to us that it's tailored to meet community needs and that it impacts...If there is high demand it may mean a program of different intensity. I imagine there will be quite a significant outreach component."

Ms De Campo said demographics in Goulburn, Yass and Queanbeyan demonstrated a clear need for such a program. With the Giants based in the ACT, the partnership "seemed like a natural fit."

"It provides holistic care to help people successfully transition to independence," she said.

"We want to use this program to give young people the skills, confidence and opportunities they need to live an independent, happy, successful life.

"It's not just about a job and education. We want them to have the skills to understand health and wellbeing and that they have community connection. That is so important to sustainable outcomes."

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