Launchpad consistently strives to reduce and prevent youth homelessness by enhancing young people’s capacity to fully participate and engage in the community.

OUR STAFF

Angela Buckfield

Executive Officer

Angela has over 15 years experience in the Human Services Sector and Non-Government Organisations. Her experience is in Team Management and Case Management, predominantly with high needs youth and families. Angela’s strengths are in engagement and complex needs.

Email Angela

Emily Hampton

Manager, Casework Team

Emily is a Case Manager with over 7 years’ experience working in the Youth Sector.
Emily’s experience is in Out of Home Care, Mental Health, Assertive Outreach and Homelessness.
Emily’s strengths are in mental health and working with young people who have complex needs.

Email Emily

Sally Curtin

Office Manager

Sally has over 11 years experience working in frontline administration at homelessness, drug and alcohol, and youth services. Her strengths lie in client engagement, team support and office management.

Email Sally

Debra Kelly

Outreach Case Manager,
Young Parents Program

Email Debra

Bianca Martin

Outreach Case Manager, Sydney Youth Homelessness Hub

Bianca has enjoyed working for over 6 years in the Community Service Sector, primarily with Young People in the Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation space. She is a qualified Sexual Health Educator, liaising closely with at-risk youth who happen to be within the Justice System, and much of her time has been spent on reconnecting these youth, by helping to reintegrate them back into the wider community.

Bianca has spent much of her professional time working closely at a grass-roots level within the community, Utilising an holistic case management approach; Bianca is passionate about supporting, and being an advocate for young people, who are on their path to reintegration and healing.

Email Bianca

Bianca Zara

Outreach Case Manager, Sydney Youth Homelessness Hub

Bianca has over six-years experience both working and volunteering in the Community service sector with not-for-profit organisations in the Sydney area.

During this time Bianca has a worked extensively with young people specifically those who are experiencing homelessness and in residential care and emergency accommodation setting.

Bianca specialises in working with clients who are in crisis and assisting with rap around care and support.

Bianca’s strengths include assisting clients with complex needs and compacity building using a therapeutic strengths-based approach whilst advocating and supporting clients to ensure they reach their goals and reach their full potential.

Email Bianca

Tatch Bollard

Outreach Case Manager, Sydney Youth Homelessness Hub

Tatch has worked with young people for over 9 years. Tatch started with working on soccer camps with disadvantaged communities and then went into working on a Boys Ranch as a counsellor/activity director. It was there that he learnt critical skills in handling youth who have come from traumatic backgrounds and how to support and assist their situation so that they can regain themselves and strive for a better future. When COIVD hit Tatch started to focus more on the needs of the homeless youth sector and worked as a youth worker to help those who are homeless and teach them the life skills to get them into the next stage of their lives. Tatch has experience in working with drugs and alcohol, mental health, mentoring and counselling.

Email Tatch

Rea Kay

Outreach Case Manager,
Young Parents Program

Rea has over 10 years’ experience working in the community services sector primarily working with young parents, women and children escaping Domestic and Family Violence and Youth Homelessness. Rea has worked in the non-government sector during this time.
Rea’s strengths include advocacy, positive engagement, and inclusiveness.
Rea is passionate about social justice principles and empowering the individuals she works with.

Email Rea

David Grdic

Outreach Case Manager,
Tenancy Support

David has been working in the Community Service Sector for around 20 years, mainly in Melbourne. In that time, he has worked in different parts of the sector including, education and employment, family support, Drug and Alcohol, Early Intervention, and most recently working in a Crisis Youth Homelessness Hub. In his spare time, David is a youth mentor, mentoring young males who don’t have significant male role models in their lives. David is also a trained youth coach and uses the tools of coaching in his case management practice as well as with his mentoring. David passions are in advocacy and working with young people to recognise their own strengths to achieve their desired outcomes in life.

Email David

Kiara Bletsus

Assertive Outreach Case Manager

Kiara is a Case Manager with experience in the Community Services sector who is passionate about supporting and advocating for vulnerable populations. Kiara’s experience is in Youth Homelessness, in both crisis and transitional accommodation settings. Kiara’s strengths consist of working with clients who are in crisis and clients with complex needs. Kiara has worked within the Inner City, Inner West and St George areas supporting young people who homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Email Kiara

Sam Deylami

Finance Officer

Sam has been serving as the Finance Officer of Launchpad Youth Community since 2015. He holds an undergraduate degree in Management and an Advance Diploma of Accounting. He is a registered BAS agent and member of the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) as well as the Institute of Financial
Accountants (IFA). He has extensive experience as an accountant and financial consultant, particularly in non-for- profit organisations.

Email Sam

Alanna Lin

Manager,
Casework Team

Alanna has over 11 years experience in the community services sector working for non-government services. Most of her experience has been working with youth in Out of Home Care, disability respite, disability employment services, Youth Connections and now specialist homelessness services. Alanna’s strengths are assisting young people in crisis situations, re-engagement into employment or education, and developing and facilitating youth programs.

Email Alanna

On maternity leave until October 2024

Launchpad Board of Management

The Launchpad Board of Management are highly experienced local community members who undertake governance responsibility for the organisation.

Read our Code of Conduct for Board of Management members

Toni Ottavio

Chairperson

Toni Ottavio, is a Registered Nurse with over 25 years experience working in neuroscience, mental health and health service management across public, private and not for profit sectors. Toni is currently employed as General Manager in Uniting Hope and Uniting Recovery programs which include specialist homelessness services, mental health and psychosocial services, community living support, Lifeline Western Sydney and Responsible Gambling counselling across Nepean to the Central Coast. Toni Ottavio has participated on working parties developing NSW Work Health and Safety Roadmap for NSW 2022, NSW Youth Health Framework 2017-21. Toni is a current youth mental health first aid trainer. Publications: A clinical staging model for early intervention in Youth Mental Health(2014) S Cross, D Hermens, E Scott, A Ottavio, P McGorry, I Hickie.

Julia Sokolovic

Treasurer

Julia grew up in the Inner West and remains closely connected to the area. Julia has personal experience with youth homelessness and disability, and has worked in Government, Business Analytics, Telecommunications, Workforce Planning and Recruitment, and currently works in Information Technology.

Andrew Small

Ordinary Member

Andrew is a lawyer and policy advisor who specialises in human rights, children’s legal issues, and strategic law reform. He has diverse experience in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors across several countries, and now calls Sydney’s inner west home. Andrew is passionate about putting human rights into practice and placing young people at the centre of decisions and discussions that affect them. His writing has been published in Australian Quarterly, The Law Society Journal, The Alternative Law Journal, The Sydney Morning Herald, and Monocle Magazine.

Sharon Stanford

Ordinary Member

April Sheppeard

Ordinary Member

Annual Reports

2021-22 Annual Report

2020-21 Annual Report

2019-20 Annual Report

2018-19 Annual Report

2017-18 Annual Report

2016-17 Annual Report

OUR PARTNERS

Launchpad collaborates with a number of individuals, organisations, government departments and businesses. All with the common goal of maximising opportunities for young people.

GOVERNMENT
DEPARTMENTS

The Department of Communities and Justice who provide the core funding for Launchpad services.

The City of Sydney Council who provide funds for the Brokerage Program and a position for Assertive Outreach.

Housing NSW who offer accommodation options for young people and young families.

COMMUNITY HOUSING
PROVIDERS

Metro Community Housing who are our key partners in providing affordable housing to young people across Sydney.

Women’s Housing Company who provide affordable housing to our young people across the City of Sydney.

Amaelie Housing who provide affordable housing to our young people across the City of Sydney.

Bridge Housing who provide transitional housing to our young people across the City of Sydney.

CONSORTIUM
PARTNERS

YWCA NSW is a consortium partner for the Sydney District Young Parents Homelessness Service.

Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand is a consortium partner for the Sydney District Young Parents Homelessness Service. (Sydney Young Parents Program).

The Noffs Foundation is a consortium partner for the Inner City Sydney Homelessness Prevention and Support Service for Young People. (Sydney Youth Homelessness Hub).