Positive Memory Bank - Berry Street

Positive Memory Bank
Pilot Evaluation Report
July 2010
For more information on the Positive Memory Bank
or the contents of this report please contact:
Lauren Oliver
Internal Consultant
Youth Empowerment & Participation
Berry Street
1 Salisbury St
Richmond, Victoria 3121
ph. (03) 9429 9266
e. loliver@berrystreet.org.au
[Type text]
Male, 12yrs

Acknowledgements
This evaluation was undertaken by the Youth Empowerment & Participation Project, part of the
Statewide Services Team at Berry Street.
A number of people provided feedback, stories and input through the evaluation process and we
are grateful to them for their honest and constructive contributions. We are particularly grateful
to the young people who shared their experiences with us and who have allowed us to use their
drawings, letters and information throughout this report.
In particular Berry Street would like to acknowledge the work undertaken by Elissa Livesey
during her student placement with Berry Street. Much of the data and information from staff,
children and young people is drawn from her work in surveying and interviewing successful
Positive Memory Bank applicants.
Berry Street would also like to thank the generous contributions of the Newsboys Foundation and
the Hoffman Foundation, which made this pilot project possible.
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Contents
Acknowledgements …………………………………………..……………………………… 1
Executive Summary …………………………………………………………………………. 3
Recommendations …………..………………………………………………………………. 7
1. Introduction …………………………………………………………………………….. 10
1.1 Methodology ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 11
2. Outcomes …………………………………………………………………………………. 12
2.1 Opportunities Facilitated ……………………………………………………………………………. 12
2.2 Grant Recipients …………………………………………………………………………………………. 12
2.3 Support Staff ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 13
2.4 Berry Street Culture …………………………………………………………………………………… 14
3. Quantative data ………………………………………………………………………… 15
3.1 General ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 15
3.2 Giving Round One ………………………………………………………………………………………. 16
3.3 Giving Round Two ………………………………………………………………………………………. 16
3.4 Giving Round Three ……………………………………………………………………………………. 16
4. Application process …………………………………………………………………… 17
4.1 From the Applicants …………………………………………………………………………………… 17
4.2 From the Support Workers ………………………………………………………………………… 17
4.3 Application Receipt and Processing …………………………………………………………… 18
5. Giving rounds ……………………………………………………………………………. 19
5.1 Giving Group ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 19
6. Grant-making and tracking …………………………………………………………. 21
7. Conclusions ………………………………………………………………………………. 22
8. Appendices ……………………………………………………………………………….. 23
App. 1: Grants List ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 23
App. 2: Case Study - Mary ……………………………………………………………………………….. 25
App. 3: Case Study # 2 …………………………………………………………………………………….. 26
App. 4: Case Study # 3 …………………………………………………………………………………….. 27
App. 5: Application Form …………………………………………………………………………………… 28
App. 6: Application Guidelines …………………………………………………………………………… 35
App. 7: Application Assessment Form ………………………………………………………………. 37
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Executive Summary
“I’ve dreamed of my 18th Birthday Party. It was on a boat and I had all the people that have made a
difference in my life. I have never had a real party so I thought I would take this opportunity to tell you my
dream so it might come true”
Female, 17yrs.
Berry Street believes that all children should have a good childhood. We also understand that, if
memories provide us with a context for who we are, positive memories can be understood to
play a significant role in building resilience in children and young people. They offer us a
positive image of ourselves, the people around us and the things we are capable of.
The Positive Memory Bank (PMB) was developed in response to a perceived need for an
independent source of funds to enable Berry Street to provide children and young people with
opportunities to build their own bank of positive memories.
“Some of the school parents and students are aware of the family’s current child protection involvement,
which has exacerbated [their] social isolation resulting in the children having few friendships and being
excluded from student’s parties due to parents telling their children not to play with [them]…”
Family Services worker
For many of the children and young people in our programs and services, Berry Street acts in
loco parentis and, as such, is responsible for ensuring that they are provided with the
experiences, the resources, the relationships and the opportunities to be the best they can be.
For others our role is to engage and support them in a variety of ways to overcome barriers, to
feel safe and nurtured and to have hope for the future.
The pilot of the PMB aimed to test a model of small-grant-making to individual children and
young people in all Berry Street programs and services. The intention was to ensure that
children and young people were empowered by the process, supported by Berry Street staff, and
ultimately enabled to access opportunities and resources they may otherwise have struggled to
access.
The development of the model was supported by a reference group including direct service staff
from a range of Berry Street program areas as well as staff from Berry Street’s central office. In
addition the reference group included the CEO of the Newsboys Foundation.
The Reference Group developed the concept to include a definition of positive memories, an
application process and application guidelines. This was subsequently launched, with the pilot
year offering three funding rounds to distribute a total of $41,000. Applications were invited
from all program and service areas of Berry Street for activities and opportunities that:
• Promote fun – opportunities to play, have adventures, be a child etc.
• Provide ‘normal’ experiences – opportunities to do things that other kids their age do,
things that connect them to their peers and community outside the welfare system, going
to restaurants, camping, having sleepovers etc.
• Enable a sense of achievement – Things that enable them to feel like they have
something to offer, skills that people value, the ability to succeed.
• Connect children and young people to their family – opportunities that facilitate and
support connection to family like enabling a family member to attend their Deb Ball, or
supplying a family movie pass or zoo pass so they can do activities together.
• Provide resources – equipment and financial resources that enable them to access
recreation and personal development opportunities such as musical instruments or the
money to pay for music lessons.
The key requirement in the application process was that, where possible, children and young
people had to be the ‘driver’ behind the application. The guidelines encouraged staff to
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empower their clients to decide what constitutes a positive memory experience for them and to
undertake the research to make their application. Application forms were developed to be as
‘child/youth-friendly’ as possible, requiring minimal written information and encouraging
submissions in any format the child or young person wanted to use. This resulted in applications
including drawings, photographs, voice-recordings, DVDs, , personal presentations from children
and even a wooden sculpture.
To ensure that requests were clear, all applications had to be supported by a detailed letter
from a Berry Street staff member, outlining the request 1 , their reasons for supporting the
application and any further information that might help in decision-making.
“getting a driver’s licence or supervised driving is hard, because most newly-arrived people are still on P-P
plates. It has happened that other p-platers platers have been known to supervise learner drivers and other people
have driven without licences. I believe [he] needs an opportunity to do things the proper way”
Cultural Liaison worker
Over the twelve month pilot, which ran from May 2009 – May 2010, with grant rounds taking
place in May 2009, September 2009 and November 2009, the full $41,000 was granted. Over 70
applications were received across the three rounds totalling nearly $67,000 in requests.
Applications contained requests for a huge range of opportunities, activities and resources, many
of which provided a stark reminder of the array of socially accepted ‘norms’ of childhood that
vulnerable and disadvantaged children and young people are prevented from experiencing
through circumstances over which they have no control.
Examples of applications include:
• Piano lessons for a young girl transitioning into permanent care:
“Playing the piano makes me feel happy and forget about the sadness…”
1 Where applicants were too young or unable to provide any written details of the activity or opportunity they wanted
to take part in, the support letter was used to provide the detail of the application.
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• Horse-riding lessons for a girl with behavioural and developmental disorders:
“My client’s greatest desire is to ride horses, she has a love for horses and has started writing a
dictionary on horses… unfortunately we do not have the finances to place her in a day program for
horse riding lessons”
• A group application from young people from a regional education program for an outing
to an inner-city Skate Park
“We would like to go on a trip to Rampfest, Melbourne… everyone here enjoys the sk8 park here in
Shepparton, but it is a bit small and does not let us practice all of the tricks some of us can do
because it doesn’t have half-pipes and stuff”
• Holidays: Queensland Adventure Parks, beachside family holidays
• Academic support: tutoring
• Family activities: long-distance travel to visit family, zoo trips, decorating bedrooms
• Leisure equipment: bikes, scooters, fishing equipment
• Group activities: Luna Park, Melbourne skate park
• Dance lessons
• Theatre experiences
• Driving lessons
• Birthday parties
“I want to be able to read and write just as good as other kids in my class… I wish that I could get stars every
day at school. School work is too hard for me. I want to be happy at school”
Female, 6yrs
Applications were assessed initially by the project manager and subsequently by a ‘Giving Group’
made up of staff from a range of program and service areas across the organisation. The original
intention was to include young people in the Giving Group. This was achieved in the first group,
however it became impossible to coordinate an appropriate time to accommodate staff and
young people during work and school hours.
Each round saw the pool of applications grow. The second round received double the number of
the first, and the third round saw a leap from sixteen applications (in the second round) to 47.
As word spread we also saw the diversity of program areas grow. The initial round was largely
made up of applications from Berry Street’s North West Region Home Based Care and Family
Services programs. By the final round applications were received from all regions, including Take
Two 2 and the Bushfire Case Management Services.
The unexpected and rapid increase in application numbers came at a time when administrative
support within Berry Street’s Richmond Office (where the program is based) was stretched.
Where applications had been received and processed for assessment by a member of the
administration team, before being submitted to the Project Manager for review, the reduced
capacity in administration meant that the Project Manager was responsible for receiving and
processing all 47 applications in the final round. These factors resulted in the model being
tested ‘under strain’, which was arguably both positive and negative. On the one hand it
enabled thorough testing of the integrity of the application process, the guidelines and the
concept behind the Positive Memory Bank. On the other hand it resulted in unprecedented
numbers of unsuccessful applications in the final round. In previous rounds the Giving Group had
been able to fund applications to their full amount and in some cases provide additional funds to
ensure the experiences were especially memorable. Conversely, in the final round, with over
$45,000 of applications and only $19,000 left to spend, the guidelines had to be strictly adhered
to. A decision was made to exclude some categories of application altogether 3 , and applications
were assessed for their potential to achieve the same result with a little less money. This
2 A developmental therapeutic service for clients of the Victorian Child Protection system.
3 Applications for computers and laptops were referred to the Development Team to pursue with corporate and
independent supporters.
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inevitably resulted in negative feedback and disappointment for many children and young people
as well as for the staff who had supported them.
“Although my client has accepted the decision and moved on, I am personally disappointed”
Bushfire Case Manager
Despite the handful of negative experiences, the feedback regarding the Positive Memory Bank
has been overwhelmingly positive. Some have indicated that, without access to the Positive
Memory Bank, , many of these activities would not have taken place since there are limited
sources for funding for the extra things that make childhood fun and special. We have also heard
that the existence of the PMB has, in some cases, influenced a change in the way that staff
approach their work with children and young people; it has provided them with a very positive
lens through which to view their clients, as well as a positive tool for engaging them more
generally.
Most importantly we have heard heart-felt requests, overjoyed squeals of excitement and
messages of fun and adventure from children and young people in their applications, through
their feedback and during their visits to Richmond office to personally hand in their application
forms. Their responses confirm for us the importance of initiatives that focus on the positive, on
their strengths and on their right to have the same opportunities and chances in life that are
routinely available to their peers.
“I would give it 20 out of 10 it was so fun!”
Male, 12yrs
Male, 11yrs
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Recommendations
“[PMB] is an excellent project, just a shame it has to be capped to only a couple of times a year. As from
time to time opportunities rise (sic) and it creates problems getting money for the activity or opportunity for
the [young people] and they often miss out”
Staff member
The following recommendations are drawn from the range of feedback that was received both
during the application processes and through targeted surveys following the end of the pilot.
These recommendations assume that the continuation of the Positive Memory Bank is not in
question. Some funding has been secured to continue the program and Berry Street has
articulated a commitment to the continued building of a perpetual fund to create a sustainable
funding source for the PMB.
The recommendations below provide guidance for ongoing development of the PMB with the
intention to improve the process and outcomes, ultimately ensuring that the experience as a
whole is positive for all involved.
1. Develop the Giving Group process to engage young people in a meaningful way.
1a. Consult with young people to ascertain the best methods for facilitating youth
participation in the model
1b. Explore the feasibility of conducting all, or part of Giving Group sessions, through
Berry Street education programs or in Residential Units
1c. Schedule Giving Group meetings for school holidays
1d. Address the issues of applicant confidentiality when involving other young people in
the Giving Group process.
2. Ensure clarity and transparency in the applications process to enable applicants to
better manage their expectations and cope with the outcomes
2a. Provide case studies and examples of successful applications to offer applicants
inspiration and an understanding of what the PMB funds.
2b. Recruit representatives to the Giving Group from every region/group and spend an
initial session training them to facilitate information sessions in their region/group
regarding the Positive Memory Bank.
2c. Place greater emphasis on the need to prepare applicants for the possibility that
their application may NOT be successful.
2d. Simplify the information available to applicants and support workers
2e. Review and update application forms to further promote alternatives to written
applications.
3. Streamline the process for receiving, processing and the long-term ownership and
storage of applications.
3a. Establish administrative support by assigning the Positive Memory Bank as the
permanent portfolio of a member of the Central Administration team
3b. Assign Unique Identifiers to each applicant to monitor multiple applications over
Giving rounds and ensure there is a tracking mechanism in place
3c. Establish a system for the storage and return of applications to applicants following a
defined period so as to ensure consistency with life story work, etc. Include this in
the guidelines for workers
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4. Improve the model for monitoring expenditure through the Positive Memory Bank
4a. Provide successful applicant’s support workers with the application Reference
Number to tag their payments for tracking
4b. Require support workers to notify admin support when they have used the funds
4c. Meet with finance and Development to ensure financial and donation management
processes are clear and documented
5. Plan and publicise frequency of Giving rounds and availability of funds to avoid overspending
in early rounds and ensure equity of opportunity in each round
5a. Following confirmation of the funds available for the year, set funding-round dates
and announce the amount of funding that will be available at each round
5b. Encourage year-round submission of applications to avoid the ‘last-minute-rush’
approach
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Male, 11yrs Page | 9

1. Introduction
Berry Street believes all children should
have a good childhood, growing up feeling
safe, nurtured and with hope for the
future.
In 2007 Berry Street received applications
totalling over $20,000 for a scholarship fund
that held only $4,000. All the requests were
for what might be considered ‘normal’
childhood opportunities or resources: art
equipment to be able to paint and draw,
music lessons, a skateboard. Even a request
from two sisters for funds to support an
overseas trip was not out of the ordinary for
young women of their age, ready to explore
the world. In many situations a parent might
do their best to support, or endeavour to
provide these opportunities for growth and
development in their child. For families that
are struggling or facing challenges such as
domestic violence, mental illness, substance
abuse, financial hardship or separation, the
provision of what may be regarded as ‘nonessential’
experiences are often out of reach
or too far down the list of priorities to
consider.
Berry Street has an in loco parentis role for
the children and young people in programs
and services as part of Out of Home Care
provision. Further, the organisation plays a
supportive role for many Victorian families
facing challenges and tough times. Berry
Street believes that this commitment to
supporting children, youth and families
includes finding ways to ensure that children
and young people continue to have access to
the rites of passage, opportunities for pure
fun and positive growth experiences
commonly available to their peers. Further,
Berry Street is committed to ensuring that
they are able to connect to their
communities, peers and families and to
develop resilience through positive
memories.
This commitment, combined with the ever
present pressure to fundraise to sustain a
handful of programs focusing on providing
children and young people with positive and
fun opportunities, inspired the development
of the Positive Memory Bank.
The Positive Memory Bank (PMB) was
developed to:
1. Empower children & young people to
participate in decisions affecting
them;
2. Enable children and young people in
Berry Street programs and services to
access opportunities, rites of passage
and positive experiences that
contribute to their own bank of
positive memories; and
3. Provide Berry Street staff and young
people with the opportunity to
participate in the distribution of funds
to support themselves and their peers
by;
4. Create a sustainable funding source
for projects, materials and activities
which enhance our capacity to build on
positive memories for children and
young people in our care.
Generous seed funding through the
Newsboys Foundation and the Hoffman
Foundation, made the development of the
concept into a reality, and a pilot year
possible.
In the first three months a Reference Group
was established to guide the development of
the Positive Memory Bank concept,
including: a definition of positive memory
activities and opportunities; a clear
application process; and application and
publicity materials
In addition to the project manager 4 , the
Reference Group included three nominated
representatives from Berry Street programs
(Family Services, Residential Case
Management and Intensive Case Management
Service), representatives from Berry Street
Business Operations and Development
Teams, and Sandy Shaw, CEO of the
Newsboys Foundation.
Grant assessment was carried out by a
Giving Group. This group included four
permanent members with the capacity to
invite others to participate, where
appropriate. In the interests of youth
participation it was also intended that this
4
Lauren Oliver, Internal Consultant: Youth
Empowerment & Participation
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group should include a minimum of two
young people for each Giving Round.
Three Giving Rounds took place over the
pilot year, in May, September and November
of 2009. A fourth had been anticipated, but
demand was so high in the first three, that
funds were unavailable by the end of the
third Giving Round.
1.1 Methodology
This evaluation has been conducted
internally by Berry Street under the
assumption that the future viability of the
Positive Memory Bank is not in question.
There has already been a substantial
financial investment made to an endowment
fund to ensure the longevity of the program.
In addition the Positive Memory Bank has
been made the subject of a Major Donor
campaign and the default recipient of a
large number of donations and bequests as
well as the Berry Street employee giving
program. The long-term vision is to build a
large enough fund to enable the Positive
Memory Bank to continue to fund individuals
and, in the future, to sustain some of Berry
Street’s positive memory focused programs
such as the Foster Care Camp, Darwin
Experience and Wilderness Project.
The objective of the evaluation process was
to identify areas for improvement from the
perspectives of all involved. A random and
representative group of 20 successful
applicants was selected to provide
feedback. Surveys were then sent to the
Berry Street worker who supported their
application and to the applicant themselves.
In some cases applicants were interviewed
by a student from RMIT to complete the
survey.
Second and third round applicants also
completed evaluation surveys with their
applications to provide feedback on the
process itself.
Additional feedback was received from
successful and unsuccessful applicants
throughout the pilot via email and through
phone conversations. This feedback has also
been incorporated.
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2. Outcomes
Three full case studies are attached with
this report as Appendices 2-4.
In addition to the specific nature of the
opportunities facilitated through the
Positive Memory Bank, over $40,000 in
grants were committed to more than 50
children and young people. However, the
outcomes of the pilot project have reached
far beyond the financial, both among those
who received the grants and among staff. To
some extent there has also been an impact
on aspects of Berry Street culture.
2.1 Opportunities Facilitated
For a full list of opportunities facilitated by
the Positive Memory Bank, see Appendix 1.
The following provide a snapshot of some of
the things Positive Memory Bank funds
enabled:
A group application from young people
from a regional education program for an
outing to an inner-city Skate Park
“We would like to go on a trip to Rampfest,
Melbourne… everyone here enjoys the sk8
park here in Shepparton, but it is a bit
small and does not let t us practice all of the
tricks some of us can do because it doesn’t
have half-pipes and stuff”
“School work is too hard for me. I want to
be happy at school”
Part of the costs to enable a fifteen year
old boy with an identified talent for soccer
to travel with his team to a Football Camp
and international tournament in Singapore
Funds to enable a little boy in foster care
to visit his paternal grandmother on a
regular basis and build on the newlyformed
relationship they have developed
A suit and new shoes for a homeless young
man to attend his brother’s wedding
A new bike and helmet for a little girl in
foster care to replace the one that she has
grown out of
Birthday parties for several young people
including a sweet sixteen, an eighteenth
and a birthday party for a young woman
entering a permanent care placement and
wanting to farewell her friends and
support workers before she leaves
“I’ve dreamed of my 18th Birthday Party. It
was on a boat and I had all the people that
have made a difference in my life. I have
never had a real party so I thought I would
take this opportunity to tell you my dream
so it might come true”
Specialised tutoring for two young sisters
with severe learning delays
“I want to be able to read and write just as
good as other kids in my class… I wish that I
could get stars every day at school”
2.2 Grant Recipients
When asked about the impact of the
application process and their use of the
grant, children and young people told us it
had been a very positive experience. For
some it enabled them to feel ‘normal’ and
more like their peers or children and young
people they are at school with. They told us
it was empowering because they gained
skills and accessed opportunities that might
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not have been available to them, were it not
for the money they received from the
Positive Memory Bank.
“Mary was overjoyed by the gifts. It is a rare day
that she gets something just for herself”
Case Study, Appendix 4
Among other objectives, the Positive
Memory Bank hopes to provide opportunities
for children and young people to have fun.
Feedback, and the nature of the
opportunities applicants accessed, implies
that this was very much the case for the
majority of those who received grants.
Young people surveyed also told us that they
achieved in ways that were special and new
to them. For some the achievements were in
areas they had always wanted to achieve,
for others they were incidental or part of
the experience as a whole.
“I learnt First Aid and got to become a First Aid
officer [at scout jamboree]”
Male, 12 yrs
Where some children and young people
applied for funds to support a connection to
their family, others considered their
opportunity a chance to connect with their
peers. It seemed important for some young
people to find things to do together, such as
reading books together or playing with toys
and generally just having the chance to
spend time with their birth family or foster
family. When asked if the Positive Memory
Bank money helped young people connect
more or better with their birth or foster
family we heard back that for half of those
surveyed, it did.
For some of those surveyed, the Positive
Memory Bank was also about wanting to do
something to further themselves as a person
or learn a new skill through activities such as
guitar lessons, violin lessons, driving lessons
and tutoring.
Given that surveys showed that the majority
of children and young people heard about
the Positive Memory Bank via word of mouth
it was encouraging to find that they were
enthusiastic when asked if they would
encourage others to apply:
“The Positive Memory Bank seems like a pretty
good idea - Go for it”
2.3 Support Staff
Male, 14yrs
We asked 20, randomly selected support
staff about the impact of the Positive
Memory Bank against the five focus areas of
the Positive Memory Bank (promoting fun,
providing ‘normal’ experiences, enabling a
sense of achievement, connecting children
and young people to their family and
providing resources);
• 85% indicated that the grant enabled
a sense of achievement
• 75% felt the grants their clients
received enabled fun, connection to
family and a chance to be like their
peers
• 70% noted the grant had supported
access to resources
One hundred percent of support staff said
they would encourage children and young
people to apply for the Positive Memory
Bank again in the future.
While the Positive Memory Bank had
articulated aims in terms of the areas it
hoped to impact, we also asked staff about
any additional benefits they had seen as a
result of the application process or the
grants received.
As the table below demonstrates children
and young people benefited in a variety of
ways, including improved self esteem,
improved self-image, improved skills,
connection to new friends and discovering
new interests. Staff also indicated that they
had experienced children and young people
gaining a more positive outlook as well as
overall improved health and wellbeing.
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2.4 Berry Street Culture
Anecdotal evidence and input throughout
the pilot has indicated that, for many
people, the Positive Memory Bank has
provided an opportunity to reflect on the
needs of children and young people from a
new and often refreshing perspective.
In emails staff expressed their excitement
and that of family members at being able to
focus on the less serious side of life with
their clients.
“the kids sat down over the weekend and drew
many pictures of things they love, memories they
have and a wish. We actually had a few good
hours together of lots of laughs and happy
thoughts… Even if nothing comes of it it was a
great exercise to do with them. Thanks”
Mother of applicant – Bushfire Case Management
Service
At an Executive Management meeting
following a presentation on the Positive
Memory Bank, the Executive Management
Team discussed the impact that they were
seeing among staff as a response to
accessing the Positive Memory Bank for their
clients.
Specifically, one Regional Director felt that
their staff had benefited from the
opportunity to step back from the crisisfocused
and often negative behavioural
focus of their work with young people. The
positive focus of the PMB had provided a
different lens through which to view the
young people in their care and a reminder
that, as well as being children and young
people with emotional and behavioural
challenges, they, like any other child or
young person, deserve to just have fun
sometimes.
“I am just over the moon for them as this is such a
positive thing for them. These are the times that
don’t happen often for our [young people]… What
a memory it is in itself .This is a day that will be in
their memory forever”
Therapeutic Residential Unit Supervisor
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3. Quantitative Data
3.1 General
Applications were invited from individuals
and from groups. The characteristics of the
groups which applied were hard to track,
because in many cases the group of young
people who applied did not end up being the
same as the group who then participated in
the activity. This may have been the result
of multiple factors including natural
attrition in the time lapse between
application and opportunity, or applications
being developed on a program basis and the
group within the program changing over
time.
Among the applications submitted
by
individuals 39 were from female applicants
and 25 from male applicants.
Applicants were invited to self-identify their
cultural identity if it was anything other
than Anglo-Australian. Australian. Between the first and
third application rounds applications from
non-Anglo-Australians Australians increased from 20% to
28%. Applicants identifying as Indigenous
stayed static in the first and second round,
but doubled in the third round.
The following list is drawn from both the
individual and group applications and covers
all three rounds. The figures represent the
total number of young people in each
cultural group
across all three Giving
Rounds.
• Aboriginal/Indigenous/Koori – 8
• Sudanese/Dinka - 3
• Macedonian - 3
• New Zealanders – 2
• Lebanese, Australian-Italian, Italian,
Greek, Syrian and Ethiopian – 1 each
Applications came from all the Berry Street
practice Groups. The table below shows the
number of applications received from each
group, across all three application rounds
and includes those withdrawn before or
after the Giving Group met.
Application by Group
24
21
15
6
7
Hume
North West Southern Gippsland Take Two
(Therpeutic)
The first application round received ten
applications. The second saw an increase of
60% (total 16 applications) and the third saw
an overall increase of almost 300% from the
second round and 470% from the first (47
applications in total).
This volume of increase in applications was
completely un-expected. . It was observed
that more applicants and support workers
were contacting the PMB project manager
for advice before submission, but this
communication alone did not indicate the
sharp increase in application numbers.
The impact was also seen in the quantity of
funding available and requested. In the first
round just over $9,000 was requested. The
second saw requests totalling $14,500 and
the third round, $43,000.
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The table below demonstrates the gap available for grant-making in each round.
between the e requested funds and the funds
50000
45000
40000
35000
30000
25000
Funds requested
20000
Funds available
15000
10000
5000
0
1
2 3
3.2 Grant Round One
The first grant round received ten
applications, totalling $9,130 in requests. Of
those ten, two were withdrawn before the
Giving Group met, resulting in a total of
$7,130 in requests going to the Giving
Group. A further two applications were
withdrawn following the Giving Group
meeting.
The total amount funded for the first round
of the Positive Memory Bank was $6,039.
The majority of applications came from the
North West region Home Based Care and
Family Services teams.
3.3 Grant Round Two
In the second round, with $35,000 still to
spend, the PMB received 16 applications for
a total of $14,584. One application was
withdrawn before the Giving Group met and
a total of $16,049 was granted.
The gap between what was requested and
what was granted is explained by the fact
that several applications requested the
maximum amount per application ($1,000),
but t indicated that the opportunity would
likely require further funding from
elsewhere. In such cases the Giving Group
opted to give the extra money in order to
ensure that the opportunity could be fully
enjoyed, knowing that funding from
elsewhere would be hard to secure.
In this second round the origins of the
applications were more diverse, with some
from every group, although not necessarily
from every program area.
3.4 Grant Round Three
Forty-seven applications were received for
the third round of grant-making. The total
requested was $43,000. One application for
$500 was processed ahead of the Giving
Group meeting via a process of email
consultation with Giving Group members.
This was due to the date of the opportunity
falling prior to the scheduled Giving Group
meeting.
Two applications were withdrawn prior to
the Giving Group meeting and a total of
$19,500 (including the discretionary grant
prior to the Giving Group meeting) was
granted.
Page | 16

4. Application process
The Positive Memory Bank application
process was developed using principles of
inclusion and child/youth participation.
Key to this approach was the ‘free’ format
adopted for the completion and submission
of applications; to avoid excluding any child
or young person on the basis of their age or
capacity to complete a written application,
the application form (Appendix 5) was
developed to facilitate submissions in
multiple formats.
The guidelines provided to staff supporting
applications articulate that applications
would be welcomed in any form the child or
young person chose to use to communicate
their wishes. Drawing, photographs, writing
and posters were all specifically noted as
possible forms of application, but it was
further noted that any other approaches
chosen by the child or young person would
be considered valid forms of application.
Deliberately broad in nature, the guidelines
permit any child or young person who is
connected to a Berry Street program or
service to submit an application to the PMB.
This approach meant that no child or young
person could be deemed less or more worthy
of enjoying the benefits of opportunities for
positive memories, and avoided the difficult
task of a detailed definition of eligibility
criteria. It threw open the opportunity to
everyone from the children in our Out of
Home Care programs to the children of
women involved with the Domestic Violence
program and the children affected by the
2009 bushfires who are connected via the
Bushfire Case Management program.
The only requirement was that every
application be supported by a Berry Street
staff member. This involved the staff
member closest to the applicant writing a
letter to outline the child or young person’s
request (especially where the chosen
application format does not clearly define
the opportunity details), provide any further
information that may support the
application and, where relevant, link it to a
case management plan or process.
Detailed guidelines (Appendix 6) were
developed for staff, to accompany the
application form. In addition a youthfriendly
version was created to be handed
out to young people with a poster
announcing the opportunity.
4.1 From the Applicants
Nearly 90% of applicants surveyed heard
about the Positive Memory Bank through
their Berry Street worker. Those that didn’t
either saw the flyer or heard through their
parent’s worker or a mentor. For the most
part the development of applications was a
team effort between workers and children
and young people.
A handful of children and young people
surveyed (14%) felt the application process
was not easy to understand. Of the
remaining 86%, most felt it was easy to
understand with the rest considering it at
least ‘kind of’ easy to understand. When
asked whether the application form was
easy to complete the responses were roughly
the same.
When asked to grade the application process
on a scale of 1-10, responses ranged from
three to ten, with the largest number
indicating a rating of 7/10.
Recommendations for improvement can be
summarised thus:
• Use clearer language
• Remove the need for so much writing
• Provide a list of what will and won’t
be funded.
We heard from children and young people
that some of them already knew what they
wanted the money for as it had been a
dream and a wish of theirs for some time.
However others had to think more carefully
about something they would like and which
would contribute to their positive memories.
4.2 From the Support Workers
Feedback shows that low literacy levels and
age (too young to know how to write or to
engage fully with the application) were
factors in cases where support workers
appeared to have developed the application.
The time spent on the application process
varied from one hour to one day and the
most common method of applying was via
written and typed applications, followed by
Page | 17

drawings, photographs and DVD’s. The
survey showed that all support staff said the
application process was nice and simple and
generally easy to keep their clients engaged
throughout. Staff also commented that the
application process had an adequate level of
creativity required from the children and
young people. The final aspect of the
application process that staff commented on
was the level of empowerment that they felt
children and young people encountered
during the application process. On a scale of
1-10 all staff surveyed rated the experience
above 7/10 for empowering applicants.
4.3 Application Receipt and Processing
A system was developed in collaboration
with the Central Administration Team to
manage the receipt and registration of each
application as it came in.
Applications were received via handdelivery,
fax, mail and email. Once received
the application was assigned a reference
number, logged on a spreadsheet and a copy
was made with all identifying information
removed. A cover sheet was attached to
each application, on which all subsequent
steps in the process were recorded (whether
it was funded or not, how much for, when
the outcome was communicated to the
applicant etc.).
The original copy was placed on file and the
de-identified version was the copy that went
to the Giving Group for assessment. This
ensured that, as far as possible, the Giving
Group members would not be able to
identify applicants.
This system worked well for the first two
rounds, but was completely overwhelmed in
the third round as a result of the large
volume of applications and the reduced
capacity of the Central Administration Team
to continue support.
Page | 18

5. Giving Rounds
During the planning phase of the project,
before the Positive Memory Bank had been
launched, consideration was given to the
idea of an ‘open’ application process in
which no deadlines would be imposed and
applications would be welcome at any time.
Giving Rounds would take place at regular
intervals, with short periods between each
round, which would potentially result in up
to eight rounds each year. This approach
was recommended to avoid the last minute
rush that tends to take place when there are
cut off times for applications. In practice,
this was not adequately planned out to
enable it to be established effectively.
Instead four Giving Rounds were scheduled
for the twelve-month period. No restrictions
were placed on the amount of funding that
could be distributed in each round, in part
because the first round saw such a small
proportion of the funds requested. The
Giving Group was concerned that there
would not be the demand anticipated, and
that the PMB would not, in fact, be able to
distribute the funds it had been granted.
With this concern in mind, in many cases
during the first and second rounds of giving,
several applicants were granted a larger
amount than they had requested. For
example, a nineteen-year-old young man
applied for funds to purchase a suit, a shirt
and some good shoes to be able to attend
his brother’s wedding. He requested just
over $300 and included information about
suits and shoes that he had seen at local
low-cost shops. The Giving Group
appreciated his budgeting skills, but also
wanted him to be able to purchase a better
quality suit and shoes and so they granted
him $500.
In another example a group applied to be
able to travel from a rural region to a
Melbourne skate park. The Giving Group
provided additional funds in order to ensure
that they could purchase snacks and get
lockers at the skate park.
A framework for assessing applications was
developed for use by the Giving Group
(Appendix 7). This framework required the
Giving Group to grade each application
against the selection criteria (assessing to
what extent the opportunity was: fun;
something other kids might do; enabled a
sense of achievement; connected them to
family; and/or provided the resources to do
these things).
In the early Giving Rounds the grading had
very little impact on the discussions. With so
few applications the already flexible funding
criteria easily lent themselves to a relatively
loose interpretation. However, the ability to
compare applications across common
measures became integral to the process in
the final round when the Giving Group was
faced with such a large number of
applications and comparatively little money
to distribute.
There was some discomfort among Giving
Group members at translating applications
into scales to assess them. While they were
unable to articulate an alternative approach
they felt the assessment process reduced
the otherwise heartfelt applications to a set
of numbers.
5.1 Giving Group
The Giving Group was intended to be a
representative group of up to six staff from
across Berry Street groups, programs and
service areas, and four young people from
Berry Street programs. To enable this
diversity, and to avoid having to re-educate
each new group as to the process for
assessment and the purpose of the Giving
Group, a core group of four permanent
members was recruited via nomination.
It was initially proposed that two young
people would be invited each time from the
Berry Street Youth Advisory Group (YAG),
which was in existence at the time. The
final two staff and two young people would
be invited from the pool of previous
applicants once one Giving Round had been
completed. Application forms were adapted
to include the opportunity for young people
to indicate their interest in being part of the
Giving Group.
In practice the model was not well thought
through and after the first round several
faults were noted.
The involvement of two young people in the
first Giving Round was of great benefit to
the process itself in providing a youth
Page | 19

perspective and chance for the Giving Group
members to ensure that the conclusions they
reached had some basis in common sense
from a young persons’ point of view.
However, it was rapidly apparent that the
lengthy process of reviewing and discussing
applications was not holding their attention.
Further, their involvement posed some
issues for confidentiality. While identifying
information was removed from applications
and Giving Group members were not
involved in the assessment of applications in
which they had a conflict of interest, the
young women from the YAG were able to
recognise some of the applicants through
their drawing style or their hand-writing.
Soon after the commencement of the
Positive Memory Bank the YAG was
disbanded. With no consistent and
established ‘pool’ of young people to draw
from it became challenging to engage young
people in the Giving Group process.
Finally, in order to enable staff to attend
the e Giving Group, meetings were scheduled
during work hours. This meant, in turn, that
young people in education and/or
employment were unable to attend.
Following the first meeting, we were unable
facilitate further youth participation in the
Giving Group.
Although the youth involvement aspect of
the Giving Group was not successful during
the pilot, there remains a commitment to
engage young people in the future.
Challenges notwithstanding, involvement in
the Positive Memory Bank was a hugely
positive and memorable experience for the
Giving Group members.
“The Positive Memories Bank is something I will
really miss and gave it a plug in my resignation
letter”
Giving Group member
Many commented on how much they looked
forward to the meetings and enjoyed the
opportunity to focus solely on the positive in
the lives of the children and young people
with whom we work.
All members of the Giving Group became
strong advocates for the program in their
regions and were responsible in no small way
for the increase in applications plications and the
improved creativity among applications.
Page | 20

6. Grant-making & tracking
The system for tracking applications, issuing
of funds and tracking of expenditure was
initially established with simplicity as a key
principle. In practice this was very much the
case while the volume of applications
remained low.
Each application, as it was received, was
given a reference number and a cover sheet
with basic tracking information on it for
quick reference (date received, contact with
applicant, funding information etc).
Once a grant had been approved, three
options were available for payment:
1. Invoice directly to the PMB from the
service provider (music teacher,
party venue etc.)
2. Payment made locally using
corporate credit card
3. Payment made locally using petty
cash
To ensure this system was secure the
General Ledger Codes for the Positive
Memory Bank were issued to Managers of
Administration (MOA) only and an
authorisation email was sent by the Positive
Memory Bank Project Manager to the MOA to
let them know that they could either release
funds from petty cash or authorise use of
the credit card.
The faults in this system became most
apparent in the final Giving Round when the
process of maintaining up to date records
was compromised as a result of the volume
of applications.
While it was relatively simple from the
recipient’s end (funds were received and
spent without too much trouble), the ability
to track the process became complex and
does not allow for adequate tracking of
which grants have been spent.
Unless the invoice option is used the PMB
has no record of whether specific grants
have been accessed or not. As a result there
are some funds remaining from the pilot
year that are unspent. It would be highly
labour intensive to go back to all recipients
and find out what has been spent and what
hasn’t. As a result, the left over funds will
now be carried over into the next financial
year.
The capacity to maintain the cover sheet
was made difficult by the ad hoc reporting
and contact with staff and clients. Some
were happy to go ahead with their
arrangements without a great deal of
guidance – spending the grant was a
straightforward process. For others grants
were not necessarily spent in one go and
there were lengthy processes to ensure they
could access the funds in the best way
possible.
Future grant-making and tracking
procedures should be simplified and
improved to ensure that individual payments
can be tracked and checked off and that
clear records can be kept.
Page | 21

7. Conclusions
In addition to providing over 50 children and
young people with a broad range of positive
opportunities, the Positive Memory Bank has
provided Berry Street with a refreshing
approach to supporting and caring for
children and young people within our
programs and services.
The positive lens through which it enables
people to understand the experiences of
children and young people has had an
impact at all levels and throughout all
services and regions.
The program has an exciting goal for the
future. The Positive Memory Bank hopes to
build a strong enough financial base to be b
able to permanently fund some of the
important projects that fall under the
Positive Memory banner in our work:
• The Foster Care Camp – An annual camp
for carers, their biological children and
the children that they care for.
• The Wilderness Project – An outward
bound program for at risk young people
that takes them on the adventure of a
lifetime.
• The Darwin Experience – An annual trip
to the Northern Territory for children
and young people in Berry Street
programs and services.
These programs are vital to providing
some of our children and young people
with a sense of their own capacity to
achieve; opportunities to have fun and
experience adventure; and experiences
to build their self-belief and expand
their horizons.
This goal is a long way off, but in the
meantime, the Positive Memory Bank
pilot has shown us how much can be
achieved for individual children and
young people when we provide them
with what may be seen as the basics for
their ‘mainstream’ peers.
The pilot has enabled the Positive
Memory Bank to establish a framework
for grant-making, while being able to
make good things happen in the lives of
several children and young people.
The recommendations in the early
section of this report outline the
improvements that should be made in
order for the PMB to continue to provide
positive experiences for children and
young people.
Page | 22

8. Appendices
Appendix 1: Grants List
Male, 14yrs
Sisters, 18yrs +
19yrs
Male, 17yrs
Female, 17yrs
Male, 12yrs
Female, 9yrs
Female, 17yrs
Female, 10yrs
Group
Female, 14yrs
Group
Female, 12yrs
Male, 20yrs
Female, 12 yrs
Female, 17yrs
Female, 14yrs
Female, 13yrs
Female, 15yrs
Female, 13yrs
Female, 7yrs
Male, 7yrs
Female, 7yrs
Male, 12yrs
Female, 14yrs
Female, 14yrs
Female, 14yrs
Female, 14yrs
Male, 11yrs
Female, 12yrs
Female, 8yrs
Female, 11yrs
Female, 8yrs
Scout Jamboree in Sydney
Membership with netball league and new trainers
Taekwondo classes and equipment
Tickets and travel costs for grandparents to attend Debutante Ball
Scout Jamboree in Sydney
New bicycle
Driving lessons
Dancing lessons and tickets for her foster mother and biological mother to
attend the performance
Trip to Luna Park
Laptop and camera
Trip to skate park
Laptop and camera
Suit to be able to attend brother’s wedding
Horse riding lessons
Eighteenth Birthday party
Laptop
Laptop and camera
Sixteenth birthday party
Holiday to QLD with foster mother – first family holiday
Violin lessons (like her foster siblings)
Trips to visit paternal grandmother and stay overnight
Birthday party and celebration of move to permanent care
Fishing equipment
Queensland trip with friends and workers
Queensland trip with friends and workers
Queensland trip with friends and workers
Queensland trip with friends and workers
A scooter
Guitar lessons
Decoration of new bedroom at permanent care placement
Decoration of new bedroom at permanent care placement
Piano lessons
Page | 23

Female, 15yrs
Group
Male, 12yrs
Female, 5yrs
Sibling group
Sibling Group
Female, 17yrs
Male, 12yrs
Female, 21yrs
Female, 3yrs
Male, 15yrs
Sibling Group
Theatre trip
Trip to Funfields Play Park
YMCA youth camp
Sensory toys and cubby house
Specialised literacy tutoring
Family holiday
Driving lessons
AFL tickets
Graduation dinner with friends and a dress for her University Graduation
Childcare, toys and zoo trip with family to promote literacy
Support to attend International soccer camp - Singapore
Trampoline to replace a very old one that broke
Page | 24

Appendix 2: Case Study – Mary
Page | 25

Appendix 3: Case Study – Ben
Page | 26

Appendix 4: Case Study – Zara
Page | 27

Appendix 5: Application Form
Date received: Reference #:
Program Area:
Region:
Funding Category: Up to $500 $500-$1,000
Submitted?:
GG Mtg date:
Attachments:
For Office Use Only
Positive Memory Bank
Application Form
If this is a GROUP APPLICATION please complete the Group Application Cover Sheet and skip
the first box of questions on this page.
Name: _____________________________________________________________________________
Date of Birth: _____/_____/_____ Age: ________________________________
Gender: M / F
Your Contact Phone: ________________________
Which Berry Street program or service are you connected to?
___________________________________________________________________________________
Which Berry Street Region are you in? Hume Northern Southern Gippsland
Do you identify with a culture other than anglo-Australian? Yes No
If yes, which culture do you identify with?
Who is the worker supporting your application? (Please give us their full name and job title)
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
How much money are you asking for?
$______________
When do you need the money by? (When does the activity/opportunity need to be paid for?)
___________________________________________________________________________________
We would like to know a bit about what you want to use this money for. You can give us your
answers in writing or you can draw a picture, attach a photograph or make a poster or a collage
to explain your ideas/opinions. Please feel free to attach more bits of paper if there isn’t
enough space on this form – make sure you put your name/names on anything you attach!
Have you attached:
Berry Street staff member support letter?
Signed privacy form?
Any extra drawings, photos etc to support your
application?
Would you be interested to take part in the Giving Group, helping to decide where this money goes in the
future? Yes No
If you would like more information about what this means, please contact Lauren Oliver on 9421 7535 or
loliver@berrystreet.org.au.
Page | 28

What is the opportunity, experience or activity you want to take part in?
Page | 29

If you are successful in getting money through the Positive Memory Bank
is there any other support that you will need to be able to access this
opportunity that won’t be covered by this money? (e.g. Travel support, a
worker to go with you, special clothing or anything else?)
Page | 30

What do you hope to get out of this opportunity, experience or activity?
Why is it important to you?
Page | 31

Is there anything else you would like to tell us to support your
application?
Page | 32

Positive Memory Bank Budget Template
Please tell us exactly how you intend to spend the Positive Memory Bank funds if they are granted to
you. You must attach any evidence (invoices, flyers, emails, printed web pages etc.) that help to
explain how you know how much it’s all going to cost.
Item (tell us each thing you will be spending money on – travel,
clothing, food, equipment etc.)
Cost (tell us how much each
of those things is going to cost)
Total
THANK YOU FOR APPLYING TO THE POSITIVE MEMORY BANK –
WE’LL LET YOU KNOW THE OUTCOME OF YOUR APPLICATION AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Please take a moment to fill in the Evaluation Form on the next page to
let us know if we can make this process easier or better for you in the
future – Thanks!
Page | 33

Application Evaluation
How did you hear about the Positive Memory Bank?
My worker told me
I saw a flyer/leaflet/poster about it
One of the other children/young people from Berry Street told me
Other :
Did you need help to fill in the application form and explain what you wanted to do?
Yes No Kind of
Was the application process easy to understand?
Yes No Kind of
Was the application form easy to fill in?
Yes No Kind of
If you had to mark the application process out of 10 (1=REALLY bad and 10=Totally
Easy and awesome to use) what mark would you give it?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
What was the easiest/best part of the application process?
What was the hardest/worst part of the application process?
What could we do to make it a 10/10?
THANK YOU!!
Page | 34

Appendix 6: Application Guidelines
Positive Memory Bank
Application Guidelines
What is the Positive Memory Bank?
Berry Street believes that positive memories are the foundation of a positive future and a child
or young person’s development into well-adjusted adulthood. Focusing on the importance of
positive memories helps us to support and empower children and young people to overcome
barriers in their lives and become all that they can be – giving them the same chances to achieve
as their peers.
The Positive Memory Bank is a Berry Street funding source for projects, initiatives and
opportunities which enhance our capacity to build on positive memories for the children and
young people with whom we work. Funds are only available to children and young people
accessing Berry Street programs and services.
Grants received from the Newsboys Foundation and The Hoffman Foundation have been
combined with existing scholarship funds to pilot the Positive Memory Bank over twelve months.
In addition some bequest funding has been committed and further investments are being sought
from corporate supporters and individual donors to ensure the program is sustainable into the
future.
What will the Positive Memory Bank fund?
Our memories provide us with a context for who we are – they are the framework for
understanding our world, the role we play in it and the relationships we build as part of it.
The Positive Memory Bank will fund activities, initiatives and opportunities for individual children
and young people which:
• Promote fun – opportunities to play, have adventures, be a child etc.
• Provide ‘normal’ experiences – opportunities to do things that other kids do, things that
connect them to their peers and community outside the welfare system, going to
restaurants, camping, having sleepovers etc.
• Enable a sense of achievement – Things that enable them to feel like they have
something to offer, skills that people value, the ability to succeed.
• Connect children and young people to their family – opportunities that facilitate and
support connection to family like enabling a family member to attend their Deb Ball, or
supplying a family movie pass or zoo pass so they can do activities together.
• Provide resources – equipment and financial resources that enable them to access
recreation and personal development opportunities such as musical instruments or the
money to pay for music lessons.
How much can we apply for?
Up to $1,000 is available with each application. You will need to complete a budget as part of
the application to explain how the money will be spent.
IMPORTANT PRIIVACY INFORMATION
Applicants must complete and sign a Privacy Statement to let us know if we can use their
application information for publicity. This is part of the Application Pack on the intranet and
should be attached with the application.
Page | 35

Who can apply for funds?
Applications are welcomed from any child or young person, up to 25 years old, currently involved
with a Berry Street Program. A large proportion of the pilot funding is restricted to children and
young people under 21 years old, so some preference will be given to these applicants.
This opportunity applies to ALL programs and services within Berry Street.
Applications MUST be completed by children/young people on their own behalf where
appropriate/possible and MUST be supported by a Berry Street staff member.
For the duration of this pilot no more than one grant will be made per child or young person
and only one application per child or young person will be considered in each funding round.
Group applications are welcomed. Groups need to complete a Group Application Cover Sheet
(also available on the intranet).
How do we apply?
Application forms are available on the Intranet (under Services/Youth Empowerment &
Participation) or from Lauren Oliver, Internal Consultant – Youth Empowerment & Participation
(Richmond Office).
Tip Sheets for children and young people and for staff are available on the Intranet to support
people in completing an application.
Each application must be supported by a letter from a Berry Street staff member, outlining:
• The staff member’s relationship with the child or young person (this must be the Case
Manager where one exists for the client);
• The perceived benefits of the activity or opportunity applied for;
• How the staff member will support the child or young person in the lead up to, during and
following the opportunity;
• What actions have been taken to secure the activity to date (music teacher identified,
school camp confirmed, place reserved on excursion etc.)
Support letters MUST NOT mention the applicant by name.
Where a child has submitted drawings or other non-written responses to the application
questions, the support letter should also describe what the child hoped to communicate.
Applications must be sent by fax, mail or email to:
Lauren Oliver, Internal Consultant – Youth Empowerment & Participation
1 Salisbury St, Richmond VIC 3121, fax: 9429 5160, email: loliver@berrystreet.org.au
When can we apply?
There are no closing dates for applications – these can be submitted at any time. However, The
Giving Group, consisting of Berry Street staff (Direct Service and Central Office) and clients, will
meet every 3-6 months to assess applications and distribute funds. Meeting dates will be
publicised in The Banner, by email and through Team Leaders in the weeks preceding each
meeting.
Applications received less than ten working days before a Giving Group meeting date will be held
over until the next meeting for assessment.
Page | 36

Appendix 7: Assessment form
Funding Category: Up to $500 $500-$1,000 Reference #:
GG Mtg date:
How did the applicant respond to the questions?
Writing Drawings Photographs
Mixture (Describe)
Other (Describe)
Positive Memory Bank
Application Assessment Form
Did they include further information about the activity or opportunity they wish to
participate in?
Yes
No
On a scale of 1-10 (1 – not at all, 10 – Very much so/Definitely) how much do you feel this
opportunity/application:
Criteria Scale Score
Promotes fun – opportunities to play, have adventures,
be a child etc.
Provides ‘Normal’ experiences – opportunities to do
things that other kids do, things that connect the
applicant to their peers and community outside the
welfare system.
Enables a sense of achievement – Things that enable the
applicant to feel like they have something to offer, skills
that people value, the ability to succeed.
Connect children and young people to their family –
opportunities that facilitate and support connection to
family.
Provide resources – equipment and financial resources
that enable them to access recreation and personal
development opportunities such as musical instruments
or the money to pay for music lessons.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
How satisfied are you that:
If this application is successful the child or young person
could get the support that they need to access this
opportunity? (e.g. Travel support, a worker to go with
them, special clothing or anything else?)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Is there anything the PMB should do to ensure they get this support?
Yes
No
Page | 37

Such as? Please describe:
How satisfied are you that:
The child or young person will benefit from this opportunity
in a way that they might otherwise not have been able to?
This is an important opportunity for this child or young
person?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Any further comments based on the application or the further information?
TOTAL SCORE
FUNDING RECOMMENDATION: FUND DO NOT FUND REQUEST FURTHER INFO
AMOUNT: $
FURTHER INFORMATION REQUESTED:
REASON FOR DECISION:
WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECOMMEND THIS PERSON AS A FUTURE GIVING GROUP MEMBER?
YES NO
DID THEY INDICATE INTEREST IN BEING ON THE GIVING GROUP?
YES NO
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