Funding Uncertainty Pushes AYAC Shutdown

Long-time national youth peak body, the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition (AYAC), has announced the departure of its Executive Director and the closing of its national office at the end of June as Federal funding uncertainty continues.

In a statement to AYAC supporters, the Chairperson Craig Comrie said: “These really are uncertain times and AYAC is still waiting on official word whether our funding agreement will be extended for a year from the end of June.

“But, as they say, time waits for neither people nor NGOs, and we need to move ahead with our planning and decisions to future-proof AYAC.

“The office will close at the end of June and staff will be gradually move on between now and then, with our Executive Director, Gabi Rosenstreich, the first to finish at the end of April.”

At the start of April AYAC warned that it was preparing for the possible wind down of its national office including laying off staff due to Federal funding uncertainty.

The organisation, the latest iteration in a 30-year history of national youth affairs representation, will run out of Commonwealth funding on June 30.

Comrie said AYAC’s Board had been exploring options of how it could do what it does without core funding, creating a sustainable organisational model moving forward.

“The current draft of the new model has a part-time National Coordinator hosted by a member organisation, whose role is to support the work of members carrying out national activities as AYAC representatives,” he said.

“The Board will play a more operational role as a management committee alongside its strategic governance responsibilities.

“If we receive a year’s extension to our funding agreement, that will enable this model to start with a firm foundation. It will not change the necessity to transition to a more sustainable model and thus a significant change to how AYAC works.”

Comrie praised the work of the outgoing Executive Director.

“In the short period of time that she has been with AYAC, Gabi sharpened our focus and enabled us to address some challenging questions/issues.  She supported us in making the necessary, but hard strategic and operational decisions, and created the foundations for us to move into the future with confidence,” he said.

“Under difficult circumstances, she has demonstrated the integrity and adaptive leadership essential to managing highly complex change while continuing to deliver on our important work priorities.

“We will be bringing in a project manager to work with the Board in implementing the rest of the transition process and ensuring that we deliver on our existing commitments before the office winds up.

“Fewer resources will have a significant impact on the scope of our activities so the ball will be with the membership to use the opportunities that a national framework offers to make a difference for young people and the sector that supports them,” he said.