Login
Login
NCOSS spoke to Will Doran, Youth and Community Services Manager at Kurri Kurri Community Services.
1. Tell me about the history of Kurri Kurri Community Services and why it was set up.
KKCS has been around for over 40 years, serving the community from children’s services through to aged care services and our building has been a hive of community activity for 120 years, initially as the largest cooperative store serving the district. At KKCS, we connect people to care, and the range of services has evolved to meet the needs of our growing community. We service more than 15,000 community members during the average year across the breadth of our services and supports.
2. What are the biggest issues facing young people in your area?
Young people in our community have some pretty big hurdles. We support many young people who are the victims of domestic and family violence and they are representative of a country-wide issue in relation to violence perpetrated within people’s homes.
A large portion of the young people we support are experiencing homelessness or are at extreme risk of homelessness. We know from recent research that homelessness is a health-risk for young people, with approximately one homeless Australian young person dying each week for the last 10 years, the leading cause of their death being suicide.
Poor mental health, disconnection from education and the general cost of living are all issues commonly faced by young people in our area.
3. A Study Hub was launched at KKCS recently. How is your team addressing the barriers to tertiary education among local youth who may be the first in their families to study?
We are so excited to have a Study Hub here in the Hunter. There are significant challenges relating to educational attainment. Examples would be the lack of public transport, cost of fuel, general costs of living and need for place-based support to assist students succeed. The KKCS Study Hub is thriving with around 120 students currently registered and accessing the Hub. The space is open 7 days a week and we have specialist staff to provide academic and wellbeing support to our vulnerable community members.
Just providing a quiet space for people to engage in study with free wifi and printing has been so well regarded. We are working on initiatives to engage with more students, but we are already heartened to see students in our Hub cohort who are first in family, those who live with disabilities, those who have caring responsibilities and those who would otherwise find it difficult to complete their awards.
4. Kurri Kurri Community Services is partnering with NCOSS to hold a Local Connect forum on 21 May. This forum brings together services from the Central Coast all the way to the Upper Hunter. How important is regional networking for people working in the social services?
Collaboration is at the heart of the community services world. 2026 is already a challenging year for the services supporting their communities most vulnerable members. Opportunities to connect, share problems and strategise for real-world solutions strengthen the networks and systems for greater success.