Streetwork CEO Helen Banu has dedicated her life to turning young lives around
From working as a high school teacher to heading up charity Streetwork in North Willoughby, helping at-risk youth turn their lives around, Helen Banu has always had a drive to empower young people with support and education to help them overcome challenges.
Helen, the chief executive officer of Streetwork, started her career as a maths teacher. It was there that she noticed some students had trouble reaching their potential.
“As a school teacher I noticed that there were things that were lacking, whether it was community engagement or relationships with family. Some kids were very lucky and had all of that, therefore their achievements were at their absolute prime,” Helen explains. “Where other young people didn’t necessarily have all that support so they were always battling whatever challenges they were facing.”
So taking a role at Streetwork, a not-for-profit youth support organisation, was appealing to Helen. “It’s the really pointy end of vulnerability that we work with (at Streetwork). It’s young people who are at high risk, whether they’re impacted by school disengagement or drugs and alcohol or crime. So it’s a real opportunity to be able to support vulnerable young people.”
She started at Streetwork in 2013, and has grown the charity, established by Peter Hobbs 40 years ago, to where it is today – supporting more than 350 vulnerable young people a year.
Streetwork is for those aged 11 to 18, living in the greater Northern Sydney region. It has an assertive outreach program – staff go out into the community where youth gather to connect with those facing challenges. It also provides an advocacy program, so that young people who find themselves in trouble with the Police have an advocate with them to ensure they are aware of their rights. This advocacy support is available 24 hours, seven days a week.
Helen explains that the charity’s flagship kickstart mentoring program has really helped turn young lives around. The program matches vulnerable youth with a caseworker who then identifies issues the person is dealing with, engages the appropriate services such as a drug and alcohol counsellor or a mental health provider, and then encourages the young person to set their own goals to address the challenges they are facing.
Helen recently had a young man in his 20s return to the Streetwork office. He’d spent more than two years with a caseworker while in his teens, and had since gone on to finish school, go to university, and is now working in IT. “He just wanted to thank his caseworker because he said that had he not connected with Streetwork, he probably wouldn’t be around,” says Helen. “Those are the things that keep us going for a very long time. It’s a wonderful story.”
Outside of her full-time position, Helen is an active volunteer with St John’s Ambulance, a role she has held for close to 50 years, and volunteers for other charities. Helen estimates she spends, on average, eight to 10 hours a week volunteering.
In what was a ‘great honour,’ Helen was recognised for her service to youth and community health with a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2023, presented by NSW Governor Margaret Beazley at Government House.
“I think as a community we have an obligation to ensure that every young person is set up for success,” Helen says.
To donate to Streetwork, visit streetwork.org.au
