Reimagine - September 2023

Welcome to the latest edition of Reimagine! As usual, it feels like it’s been a long, cold winter. I know here at Berry Street, we’ve seen an increase in the number of children, young people and families using our services.

However, we have some lovely updates and stories to share with you that are bound to help lift the winter blues. These include: some dedicated community fundraisers raising money through swimming and trivia, a happy update on little Harper, how Sara was helped to heal through Therapeutic Life Story Work, how special therapeutic design is helping kids to learn and how the Positive Memory Bank has given many kids something they’ve wished for.

All this work is made possible thanks to the kindness of people like you. Thank you for changing lives. I hope you enjoy reading about some of the brightness you have helped create.

Warm wishes,
Michael Perusco
Chief Executive Officer

When 10-year-old Riley heard that his swimming club, DVE Aquatic, based in Melbourne’s north, were raising funds for Berry Street through their annual swimathon, he dived online to find out all about our work.

Riley was so moved by what he read that he raised $925, inspiring friends and family to donate with his own tagline: "No child should have to flee their home due to violence,” said Riley. We couldn’t agree more, and we’re so grateful for Riley’s passion to make a difference.

It wasn’t just Riley’s words that inspired people to donate; it was also his incredible dedication to the swimathon. Over a 24-hour period, Riley swam in four two-hour blocks, clocking up nearly eight hours in the pool! Amazingly, Riley was just one of dozens of people – young and not-so young – who helped DVE Aquatic raise nearly $4000 for Berry Street this year.

If you’re inspired by Riley’s success, why not create your own fundraising event? It doesn’t have to be a huge endeavour like a swimathon, but events like a local trivia night, an art show, or a bake sale can be fun ways to raise funds. To find out how, visit our ‘Fundraise for Berry Street’ page on our website. Or contact us on 1800 237 797 to discuss your idea.

We’re so happy to be able to share that little Harper* is back living with her mum. We shared the story about Harper a few months ago and thanks to all our amazing donors, her and her mum were able to receive the support they needed in order to live safely together again.

Now, Harper is thriving. She loves packing her school bag every morning with a lunch box full of food, and she’s catching up in class. Her mum is back on track, putting in place all her new parenting and life skills, rebuilding her life with renewed confidence.

All this wouldn’t have been possible without the support shown by people like you, and it didn’t just help Harper, it helped many other children just like her. Thanks again for your compassion.

Between the ages of 3-13, Sara* moved between 19 different foster, kinship and residential care homes. She experienced horrific trauma and neglect which meant she couldn’t live safely at home. Eventually, Sara went to live with foster carer Carol* and her family.

After 18 months living with Carol, Sara was having difficulty expressing her emotions, she was acting out at home and school, so she was referred to Berry Street’s Therapeutic Life Story Work service. This service helps young people to reflect on their past, develop compassion for themselves and move on so they can achieve their full potential.

The practitioner met with Sara and shared how they’d work together to learn more about her life and why decisions had been made for her. As Sara didn’t understand much about her past, she was keen to give it a go. The practitioner then gathered information from Sara’s past files and psychological assessments and spoke with relatives, previous carers and child protection. All this information would be vital in supporting Sara to understand her thoughts, feelings and behaviours in the context of what she had experienced.

The practitioner was able to sensitively explore challenging topics of Sara’s life during their sessions. As time went by, Sara, Carol and the practitioner recorded what they discussed on paper in colourful markers.

“As we mapped Sara’s life story, I became aware of the big gaps of missing information in Sara’s life.” - Carol

At the end of the process, Sara, Carol and the practitioner had a much better understanding of what had happened in Sara’s life. Sara received her life story as a beautiful, personalised book – a meaningful record of her lived experience and a testament to her commitment to the program.

When Fitstop Gyms decided to raise funds for Berry Street through their first-ever trivia night, their members came out in full force and raised over $13,800 through ticket sales and a silent auction.

“We wanted to support an organisation that worked with children, and Berry Street’s work resonates with our communities, many of whom have small children,” said Mark, Manager at Fitstop Northcote.

Although Victorian Fitstop Gyms had never organised a trivia night before, Mark believes two magic ingredients made it all possible. “If you’re passionate about something and you plan ahead, it’s not too hard to pull it all together.”

Mark and the Fitstop team believe anyone can organise a fundraising event. Mark says, “Do it! Put your spin on it, make sure the event speaks to your community, and lead with passion. The rest will fall into place.”

Thank you so much to the Victorian Fitstop community for their support, compassion and the many hours of work they put into the event. If you’d like to put your passion and planning into action, check out our Fundraise for Berry Street webpage or call us on 1800 237 797 if you’d like to discuss your fundraising idea.

Our Berry Street School is an independent specialist school with four campuses across Victoria. The school operates to educate children with a history of adverse childhood experiences who are at risk of disengaging from their education.

Trauma during childhood can lead to poor academic outcomes, absenteeism, disruptive classroom behaviours, emotional difficulties and lifelong challenges. With the right support, young people who have experienced trauma can learn to manage their emotions, recover and lead happy and healthy lives.

With thanks to you, in the building of our newest school campus, an occupational therapist was consulted to help assess and implement the best designed environment for those affected by trauma, considering furniture, soft lighting and room layouts.

The trauma-informed design means there are break-out rooms for students to separate from others when they’re in distress. These specially placed areas help to ensure everyone is safe as well as providing necessary time out to those feeling overwhelmed. These spaces promote safety, well-being and healing. There are also wobbly chairs and things to fidget with to assist those feeling stress and anxiety.

The school has had a big impact on student Jonah*. He previously refused to go to school and would often have panic attacks. Since attending Berry Street School, he hasn’t had a panic attack – though has felt overwhelmed at times. After being disengaged from his education for years, he's now working towards getting his VCAL certificate, what an achievement for Jonah!

Our goal at Berry Street is to empower young people to understand how they can proactively meet their own sensory needs when learning. The new wellbeing design as well as the outdoor spaces helps student do this. Thank you so much for making this happen.

The Positive Memory Bank needs help to create positive memories for children in need. It was designed to give children and young people who have experienced trauma the opportunity to create positive experiences.

“Sadly, many children and young people in our care haven’t been able to enjoy the sorts of activities or have some of the things that many of us would consider “normal”, or that we perhaps take for granted,” said Michael Perusco, Berry Street CEO.

Since 2010 the Positive Memory Bank has helped more than 500 children receive something they’ve wished for. It is funded entirely through generous donations from corporate organisations, local businesses and individuals like you.

“We’ve had requests for things like trampolines and sandpits, to help young kids feel at home in their new environments, as well as support to help cover school camps, and excursions, and other extracurricular activities so they can engage in the same activities as their peers.” Mr Perusco said.

Other requests have included lessons and equipment for music, sports, dancing, and art; gym memberships; bedroom makeovers; concert tickets; and clothing for special occasions.

Michael Perusco says, “Every donation is greatly appreciated – and can make a really big difference to these children and young people”.

Children and young people in out-of-home often don’t have the means to buy items they really want but are so crucial to them socially and personally. Please consider making a donation to help support the Positive Memory Bank.

*Names in some stories have been changed in the interest of protection and privacy. In order to protect the identity of our clients, we only use images of models and volunteers. The people pictured in our stories are not connected to the case studies presented.