The Foundation was established and later incorporated in 1981, to raise funds in support of the Don Bosco Youth Centre and Hostel.

The Foundation organizes fundraising events and seeks financial assistance from philanthropic trusts, business organizations, generous and good-willed individuals and families. In seeking financial, logistic and consultative support from local, State and Federal governments, the Foundation applies for grants and is a driver for related and pertinent government initiatives and visions benefiting the broad range of our multicultural community youth.

The Foundation started an Opportunity Shop in 2001 to raise funds for additional support to the Youth Centre and Hostel as well as provide support to the Salesian Missions in the Pacific.

The Foundation manages the day-to-day running of the Opportunity Shop with the assistance of nearly 40 volunteers (including some disabled volunteers).

The Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Trust for Young Australians, 1989 Award for services to teenagers and "street kids" in providing refuge to those unable to reside with relatives.

Rotary Club of Pascoe Vale 1993-94 James Esselemont Award for Service to the Community - awarded to Mr. S. Romanin.

Victoria's Awards for Excellence in Multicultural Affairs - 2005 to the Don Brunswick Youth Foundation Inc. for Service Delivery to Multicultural Community - Youth Services. (Ref. http://www.multicultural.vic.gov.au

Victoria's Awards for Excellence in Multicultural Affairs - 2006 Meritorious Service to the Community Award for outstanding service to the Vietnamese Community - awarded to Fr. A Quang SDB.

Victoria's Awards for Excellence in Multicultural Affairs - 2007 Award for Meritorious Service in the Community - awarded to Mr. S. Romanin.

Please consider the future and wellbeing of young people by offering your help and support, by making a donation or remembering The Don Bosco Youth Foundation Inc. in your Will.

For more information about the Salesians of Don Bosco, please visit http://www.sdb.org.au/

CONTENTS

1. List of Directors – 2008 Page 2

2. Chairman’s Report Page 3

3. Rector’s/Hostel Co-ordinator’s Report Page 9

4. Youth Centre Co-ordinator’s Report Page 10

5. Opportunity Shop Co-ordinator’s Report Page 12

DIRECTORS

Patron

Professor David de Kretser, AO

Governor of Victoria

Mr. G. Walters, A.A.I.V., F.R.E.I. Judge F. Walsh, A.M., Q.C.,

Chairman Vice - Chairman

Mr. D. Sowersby, A.R.E.I., Mr. M. Seear

Vice - Chairman Secretary

Mr. S. Romanin, C.P.A. Fr. J. Murphy, S.D.B.

Treasurer

Fr. P. Carroll, S.D.B. Mr. A. Frigo, J.P.

Mr. N. Germano, A.S.A. Mr. A. Menhennitt

Br. M. Lynch, S.D.B. Mr. O. Peters

Fr. P. Kerin, S.D.B. Mr. J. Richardson

Mr. M. Dubock Mr. J. Goldberg,

Barrister at Law

The Don Bosco Brunswick Youth Foundation Incorporated

715 Sydney Rd, Brunswick, Victoria, 3056.

Telephone: (03) 9383 5333 Fax: (03) 9386 3326

Email: foundation@donbosco.org.au

www.donbosco.org.au

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

As Chairman of the Foundation I am extremely proud and pleased to present my fourth Annual Report on another successful 12 months to 31 December, 2008.

Our Foundation was established in 1982 to assist in managing the loan debt of the Don Bosco Youth Centre and Hostel and to fund the operating deficits of the Centre. Our task of supporting the Youth Centre and Hostel has been made easier by the wonderful support of many generous organisations, philanthropic trusts, Government entities and benefactors over these many years. We thank them sincerely for their support.

The Don Bosco Centre, now in its 69th year of unbroken service, continues to play an important role in the lives of the multiculturally diverse youth of the inner northern suburbs of Melbourne, as well as providing low cost accommodation to young students from rural Victoria and overseas. We, as a Foundation, are very pleased to play an important role in supporting the operations of the Centre.

Our two major events in 2008 were the Film Night featuring Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Krystal Skull held on Wednesday 4 July 2008, at the Palace Cinema Centre, Balwyn and the Fun & Food Festa held earlier than previously, on Saturday 11 October, 2008, at the Coburg Town Hall. Both events were a great success and I sincerely thank all who helped in the many tasks associated with these events. Appended to my report is an article by our Administration, highlighting the major aspects of the Fun & Food Festa.

The Foundation’s Opportunity Shop, located at 368 Sydney Road, Brunswick, opened in June 2001, continues to be an outstanding success. Mr. Joe Richardson and fellow Directors are supported by many dedicated volunteers, generous business people and good willed individual donors. I thank them all most sincerely for their commitment and enthusiasm in support of the Opportunity Shop. I would also like to commend the Managers of the Opportunity Shop who support the use of disabled volunteers wherever possible, thus further benefiting the community.

Funds distributed in 2008 by the Opportunity Shop were as follows:

· $35,000 Don Bosco Youth Centre and Hostel ($20K July 08 + $15K December 08)

· $35,000 Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund ($20K July 08 + $15K December 08)

· $15,052 Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund for specific distribution to the Burmese after their devastating floods. *

* The above $15,052 resulted directly from the ‘Burma Appeal’, launched in late May by the Opportunity Shop and included the donation of the gross proceeds of the shop during the month of June 2008. Our Patron, Governor of Victoria, Professor David de Kretser, gave his personal support which, in turn gave great impetus to the appeal and the volunteers working within the appeal.

Mr Richardson’s report on the year’s Opportunity Shop’s activities follows later in this Annual Report and provides interesting details of the year’s Opportunity Shop operations.

The Don Bosco Youth Centre, and the Hostel, are both high maintenance areas requiring regular replacement and updating of equipment and facilities, particularly with the need to comply with stringent health and safety requirements. Significant projects completed this year, or to be undertaken early next year, include the carpeting and the installation of ceiling fans in the Hostel bedrooms for improved comfort for the residents, realignment of flooring and refurbishment of the main Hostel shower block to incorporate aesthetic era retention for the building, installation of new hot water systems that draw their energy from the atmosphere and potentially save $20,000 annually in maintenance for the Centre, forty new beds, ergonomic chairs and work tables for the resident’s rooms as well as redesign and refurbishment of the Youth Centre entrance, kitchen and office area.

As you can see our work and commitments continue to play and important role in maintaining the viability of the Centre and I wish to specifically thank and gratefully acknowledge the following philanthropic organisations for their financial support in year 2008.

The William Angliss (Victoria) Charitable Fund
The Trust Company of Australia
The Melbourne Newsboys Club Foundation.

We also thank the Try Youth Organisation which has incorporated the Don Bosco Centre in its fundraising activities; and helps keep the name of ‘Don Bosco’ in the minds of the travelling public of Melbourne.

The Moreland City Council again provided their generous annual Community Grant of $10,000 to the Youth Centre which significantly helps the Youth Centre provide many services free of charge to the culturally diverse youth of Moreland. In addition, support is received from Moreland City Council in the running of the Fun & Food Festa, as well as other projects.

I am pleased to report that our own Director Br Michael Lynch has received the City of Moreland’s Senior Citizen of the Year Award for 2008. The Award was granted in recognition of his work over the past six years in the Salesian Missions Office and his work with volunteers at the Don Bosco Opportunity Shop Brunswick. Specific reference was made to the support forwarded through Salesian Missions to schools and orphanages in Timor Leste, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Samoa, Pakistan, Sudan and Ethiopia.

Br Michael was the first graduate of Monash University, Victoria (B.Ec 1964) and has an M.Ed (1983) from Harvard University of the United State of America.

We were very pleased to have the opportunity this year to sponsor two representatives of the Salesian community, Br. David O’Brien, Don Bosco Brunswick Youth Centre and Chris Tonner to attend the World Youth Day celebration in Sydney. All reports of the experience were positive.

In closing I refer you to the accompanying reports by the Rector/Hostel Co-ordinator, the Co-ordinator of the Youth Centre, the Manager of our Opportunity Shop, as well as the financial statements of the Centre for the year ended 31 December 2008.

As Chairman of the Foundation I offer my sincere thanks to our Secretary, Mr. Martin Seear and our Treasurer, Mr. Nino Romanin for their sterling work and to my fellow Directors for their continued commitment to the Foundation and to the wellbeing of the Don Bosco Youth Centre and Hostel.

Finally deep appreciation is conveyed by all to Mr. Jim Soulsby who, retired as a Director of the Foundation and Co-Manager of the Opportunity Shop in late December 2008, as well as his wife Mrs Ursula Soulsby, who also supported Jim throughout. We’ll miss their humour and camaraderie as well as their work ethos.

Greg Walters

Chairman

The Don Bosco Brunswick Youth Foundation’s

Annual ‘Fun & Food Festa’ held

on 11 October 2008 at the Coburg Town Hall

Report by M.R. Seear

The 2008 ‘Fun & Food Festa’ was the Foundation’s 15th Community Celebration of its kind. The first ‘Festa’ was held in the Don Bosco Brunswick Youth Centre in 1994 as a thank you and celebration for all our wonderful supporters of diverse cultural backgrounds, whose efforts enable the Youth Centre and Hostel to succeed. The occasion has always been highlighted by the drawing of our Major Raffle.

Our ‘Major Raffle’ tickets were distributed to our supporters throughout Victoria and offered the following excellent prizes:

1st Prize:

Airline tickets to the total value of $2,000, plus $500 spending money. Supplied by Pan Australian Travel. Valued at $2,500.

2nd Prize:

Ski Holiday at Mt Buller for two adults and two children including accommodation, ski hire and lift passes for two days. Supplied by Grollo Australia Pty Ltd. Valued at $1,350.

It should be further highlighted that this prize featured in previous years as an auction item on the night of the Festa and its transfer to a Major Raffle item gave an even greater impetus to ticket sales.

3rd Prize:

Rupertswood Mansion (Birthplace of the Ashes) – Accommodation for two people in superbly appointed suite. Valued at $495.

4th Prize:

Christmas Hamper. Supplied by Piedimonte’s Supermarket. Valued at $350.

5th Prize:

Dozen bottles of ‘Fairbank’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2003. Compliments of Sutton Grange Winery. Valued at $300.

Our 2008 Festa commenced with a blessing from the Youth Centre’s, Rector, Fr John Murphy and was hosted by our Foundation’s Chairman Mr Greg Walters. The 300 plus guests and helpers proceeded to enjoy a sumptuous meal of traditionally cooked ‘Porchetta’ (expertly prepared by Peter De Cinque and his team), volumes of king prawns, pasta, salads and vegetables followed by cassata for dessert.

The music this year was again provided by staunch supporters Enrico and Rita Constantini and their wonderful band ‘Speedway’.

Other entertainment provided throughout the night included auction items, spinning wheel segment and towards the end of the night the very popular lucky envelopes for some great prizes.

The last major event of the evening was the drawing of the Major Raffle which, in addition to prior sales, was very well supported on the evening.

To enable high attendance on the night from our diverse multicultural groups, we have kept our admission fee as low as possible ($45 this year). We could not put on a major raffle and community celebration without the wonderful work of many volunteers, sponsors and support groups.

The Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) who through their Community Grants Program, awarded the Foundation a grant to pay for buses to safely transport a large number of our Italian supporters from the South Eastern Suburbs. The VMC is always looking to support and encourage diverse cultures and we thank the Commission for its support this year.

The Moreland Council and the Don Bosco Brunswick Youth Foundation have formed close ties over the years to support and service the culturally diverse communities of Moreland and in particular its youth. Moreland Council’s continuing support is acknowledged with appreciation.

Special mention to our Vietnamese community who through our ex-officio Fr Anthony Quang organised the sound system for the evening.

Our sponsors on the night, many of whom have supported us over many years are mentioned below and we ask that readers please note and support their services wherever possible.

· A & A Meat Company P/L Richmond 9421 8018

· Abruzzo Club Brunswick 9387 5955

· Alepat Taylor P/L Brunswick 9380 6199

· Bergerac Restaurant Melbourne 9629 2868

· Bertocchi Smallgoods Thomastown 9355 5100

· Cecconi’s Cantina Melbourne 9663 0222

· Central Catholic Bookshop Melbourne 9639 0844

· Chelston Pty Ltd Melbourne 9500 9923

· Classy Colour Copy Brunswick 0432128234

· Coffee Mio Thornbury 9484 0776

· da Vinci Foods Campbellfield 9305 1333

· Dan Murphy’s Ascot Vale 1300723388

· Enoteca Sileno Carlton North 9389 7000

· Fabbris Meats Campbellfield 9357 0900

· Georgelin’s Florist Coburg 9386 2827

· Grollo Australia Pty Ltd Northland 8480 0400

· Incani Imports Coburg 9383 1166

· Jerome Gauder Prahran

· Joe & Daughters Fruit Supply Brunswick 9386 3080

· Kyneton Springs Water Campbellfield 9359 6000

· La Manna Fresh Brunswick 9380 1909

· Montal Printing Coburg 9386 1766

· Moreland Council Moreland 9240 1111

· Mulqueen Services North Coburg 9354 3215

· Palace Cinemas Balwyn 98161777

· Pan Australian Travel Melbourne 9347 9677

· Paul’s Uni Hair Saloon Coburg 9383 5592

· Piedimonte’s Supermarket North Fitzroy 9481 1600

· Pizza Farro Thornbury 9484 2040

· Primo Detergents North Coburg 9354 9688

· Romano’s Service Centre Coburg 9354 2217

· Rupertswood Mansion Sunbury 9740 5020

· S & S Fruits Brunswick 9386 8463

· San Marco Restaurant Coburg 9354 1488

· Savor Smallgoods Carlton 9347 2094

· Sutton Grange Winery Sutton Grange (03) 5474 8277

· The Office Cafe Brunswick 9386 9669

· Speedway Music Brunswick 9387 1703

· Victorian Multicultural Commission Melbourne 9208 3180

· Vinnie’s Fruits Coburg 9354 1201

· Whelan Kartaway North Melbourne 9329 0800

For any enquiries about the Don Bosco Brunswick Youth Foundation, Foundation Opportunity Shop or Youth Centre and Hostel please refer to either our website www.donbosco.org.au, phone direct on 03 9386 3948 or contact our Secretary, Mr. Martin Seear on 03 9380 8759, mobile 0428 195544 (specifically regarding the Foundation).

RECTOR/HOSTEL CO-ORDINATOR’S REPORT

It is that time of year again when I need to put pen to paper and share with you my thoughts regarding the past twelve months. Don Bosco Youth Centre and Hostel is indeed a great place; they are not my words but they are words expressed by many young people who use these facilities at 715 Sydney Road, Brunswick; they are also expressed by the not so young who visit and look over the Youth Centre and Hostel.

These past twelve months have seen us up-grade the Hostel’s main shower and toilet block, recarpet the bedrooms and install a ceiling fan in every bedroom. Also, since Christmas we have installed a kitchenette for the use of the students for those ‘early hours’ of study they need to do while working on assignments. We strive at every opportunity to help make easier the study load and work commitments of our forty young men of all cultures and religions who stay at the Hostel (we have been at capacity for two years now). Our prices are kept as low as possible, with a tight budget observed to assist us to manage our operating costs and still maintain this wonderful and appreciated facility.

In the Youth Centre, considerable maintenance work was done on the trampolines, with safety mats surrounding each unit. An upgrade of the Youth Centre’s shower/change rooms and toilets was completed. All this was possible because of the generous support of many people and organizations, in particular Try Youth Organisation, The Melbourne Newsboys Club, The William Angliss (Victoria) Charitable Fund and the Moreland City Council.

Of course the valiant work of our Foundation Committee and the untiring and dedicated efforts of the many volunteers who man our Opportunity Shop at 368 Sydney Road, Brunswick, six days a week, enables Don Bosco to continue the great and essential work for young people that have been going on here in Brunswick for almost 70 years. It is only because of the efforts of so many that it is possible to say this work will continue to benefit the young for a long time into the future.

We look forward to early next year when we also intend to pursue ergonomic and environmentally sound projects for the Centre.

My prayers and thanks along with and including our dedicated team, Fr Peter Kerin, Br Michael Lynch and Br David O’Brien, go to each person and every organisation that helps support the Don Bosco Brunswick Youth Centre and Hostel.

Fr. John Murphy, SDB

YOUTH CENTRE CO-ORDINATOR’S REPORT

It is most encouraging to hear the appreciative remarks from many parents such as:

“Your Centre is the best thing going for young people in Brunswick”

“My children just love coming here”

“What a wonderful place for children, teenagers and families”.

One of my greatest joys is to meet the parents who were here themselves as children when I was the Director of the Centre from 1977-1990. Now they bring their own children to enjoy our Centre; they often recall their own wonderful fun-filled memories of yesteryear and it is happening all over again with their own children.

Prevention and early intervention is much better than cure! When you give children and teenagers a fun place that is friendly and well supervised, with a whole range of recreational facilities and activities to enjoy with their friends, they are not tempted to transgress. The heart of our Don Bosco Youth Centre is the ‘Weekend’, ‘After School’ and ‘School Holiday Programs’ which we run free of charge for all the local children, teenagers and families. We have almost no graffiti or wilful damage as the children and teenagers regard the place as their own. Every week we are open, some 1,500 children and teenagers use the Centre.

There is an extensive network of school groups and community youth groups from all cultures who come here to use our Youth Centre: Moreland Council and other local Council School Holiday Programs, Princes Hill Secondary College, Box Forrest College, Fitzroy High School, Northern Support Services, Brunswick English Language Centre, Kensington Community High School, St. Margaret Mary’s Primary School, Doxa School (Marist Transition Centre), University High School, Coburg West Primary School, Pascoe Vale Girl’s College, David House, Penola College, Trinity College, to name a few. A new group to come here this year on a regular basis is the Victorian College of Koorie Education.

Br David O’Brien and I are two full-time staff at the Youth Centre, but we have a large number of youth leaders, adult volunteers, parents and youth work students, who work together with us. We usually have two youth work students from various tertiary colleges on a 200 hour work experience, here at any one time; we train them and supervise their placement and in return they help us run the Centre.

This year the Melbourne Newsboys Club has enabled us to ensure that our four trampolines are maintained at the required health and safety standards. The ‘wriggly bars’ on all four steel frames were replaced with high tensile steel bars and the safety padding and vinyl covering has also been renewed. The Melbourne Newsboys Club has supported our Youth Centre over many years, for which we are very grateful. We also thank the Moreland City Council, Philanthropic Trusts and other generous donors who continue to support the Centre.

We have also painted the girls’ and boys’ toilets and change rooms, re-covered three billiard tables, bought nine dust covers for the billiard tables and replaced the old billiard cues.

Our Centre is like a big mixing bowl of cultures, different countries of origins and religions; almost 50% of the children and teenagers are Christian and almost 50% Muslim. The countries of origin include Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Iraq, Philippines, Mauritius, and Iran; this is what makes the Centre such an interesting place to work. If Australia is to continue to be a wonderful place to live, everyone needs to live in peace, friendship and understanding with justice and respect and the Don Bosco Centre enables this to start with the very young.

Fr. Peter Kerin, SDB

OPPORTUNITY SHOP CO-ORDINATOR’S REPORT

It is my pleasure to report that 2008 has been another successful year for the shop, with gross sales increasing by $28,000 to a total $176,000.

The total distribution for the year was $85,052 including $15,052 raised for the Burmese people after their tragedy, which was distributed through the Australian Salesian Missions Overseas Aid Fund. Total proceeds distributed since the shop’s inception in 2001 is $380,205.

We are grateful to the hard working volunteers who prepare and sell donated goods to our many good customers, who are ever willing to support the Don Bosco shop and its purpose.

This year’s Annual Reward Luncheon to our volunteers was held at the Rupertswood Mansion in Sunbury and our thanks go to Mr. Tony Menhennitt, Foundation Director and Opportunity Shop Co-Manager, who organised the function and also arranged for a tour of Rupertswood. Rupertswood was acquired by the Salesians of Don Bosco in 1927, and is now a successful secondary college with students in excess of 1,000 attending.

We are fortunate to receive donations of so much good quality stock which comes from all quarters of the community; towards the end of last year we received 300 odd boxes of brand new clothing, including work jeans and overalls, which we will distribute in the up coming months at reasonable prices. In addition we are able to supply excess stock to our friends in the Collingwood Parish, who assist many new overseas arrivals.

I wish to thank those of my fellow Directors who are also daily Managers of the Opportunity Shop, for their great assistance and dedication to the operation and objectives of the shop. We are open Monday to Saturday each week and occasionally on special festival days. Special thanks also to Mr. Jim Soulsby and his wife Ursula who retired at the end of 2008, with honourable and dedicated service to the cause of Don Bosco.

Finally, special thanks to the Salesians of Don Bosco at the Brunswick Youth Centre and Hostel and in particular Rector Fr John Murphy and Bro Michael Lynch, Manager of the Salesian Overseas Aid Missions Fund, who continue to give us great support.

Joe Richardson