About us
The Redcliffe Area Youth Space (RAYS) is a place-based service which has been supporting vulnerable young people and their families in the Moreton Bay region for over 20 years.
We are passionate about the mental, physical, emotional and social wellbeing of young people. Our work focuses predominantly on young people who have been significantly impacted by trauma, oppression and poverty.
Our programs and groups assist young people with behavioural and mental health concerns, education, work skills, social inclusion and capacity building.
Our History
From its inception The Redcliffe Youth Space’s primary goal has been to create a welcoming space and meaningful engagement for young people in Redcliffe and surrounding areas.
In 1999, The Humpybong Youth Space Steering Committee, created by the Redcliffe City Council and a group of Redcliffe citizens set about surveying the community to gauge the validity of a space for young people living on the Peninsula.
This survey indicated that creating a space exclusively for young people was indeed a much needed service, and the vision for what was to become the Redcliffe Youth Space was created.
In 2001 the Humpybong Youth Space Interim Management Committee was formed, and with support from the Redcliffe City Council, construction of stage one of the construction began.
As this was to be a space specifically for young people it was important to have their involvement. A co-design process which fell across everything from planning to construction and even logo design was put in place.
Young people formed part of the Management Committee, Community Job Plan participants were employed to lay the foundations and assist in the building of the facility, under the guidance of professional construction workers and many other young people participated in the Peninsula wide competition to design a logo for what was to become The Redcliffe Youth Space.
By 2002, the volunteer Management Committee became an incorporated entity, providing strategic direction and guidance and a Chief Executive Officer and small team of staff were employed.
It soon became clear that as well as providing a place for youth to congregate there was a significant need for specific community based service provision for young people in the Redcliffe area.
By September 2005, stages two and three of the building construction began to take place thanks to financial support from the Redcliffe City Council ($750 000) and the State Government ($215 000). A full time Manager was employed in order to step the organisation from youth centre to a community youth service provider.
2005 to now
Redcliffe Youth Space has developed a reputation for innovation and excellence.