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Sydney youth service founder Father Chris Riley dies age 70

Sydney youth service founder Father Chris Riley dies age 70

News.com.au2 days ago
A prominent youth support worker and priest, Father Chris Riley, has died aged 70.
The Catholic Priest was best known for his work as the founder of Youth Off the Streets in Sydney.
His death was announced on the service's Instagram page on Friday afternoon, following a 'long period of ill health'.
NSW Premier Chris Minns marked his death with 'profound sadness', noting his 'visionary' work had 'changed the lives of tens of thousands of young people across New South Wales'.
'In founding Youth Off The Streets in 1991, he turned a single food van in Kings Cross into a lifesaving network of crisis accommodation, counselling and other wrap around support services,' Mr Minns said.
'Father Riley believed there is no child born bad, only circumstances to overcome, and he spent over three decades proving that with compassion and opportunity young lives can be transformed.'
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Prime Minister's Spelling Bee abuzz after NAPLAN results land
Prime Minister's Spelling Bee abuzz after NAPLAN results land

News.com.au

time2 hours ago

  • News.com.au

Prime Minister's Spelling Bee abuzz after NAPLAN results land

This week's NAPLAN results were a bag of licorice all sorts for Australian parents but the nation's teachers wasted no time rallying the troops. For the second straight year, the release of NAPLAN results coincided with the Prime Minister's Spelling busiest day of traffic since registrations and the school round opened. Just two weeks into the rego period, the Bee has sailed past 40,000 students nationwide. The Prime Minister's Spelling Bee registrations and the school round close at 5pm AEST on Friday 22 August 2025. BEE in it to win it! With three weeks still remaining to register students across Years 3-8 to take part in Kids News' free, fun and fast online spelling challenge, Grattan Institute education program deputy director Amy Haywood said the simple digital format for classrooms – with each student separately playing against the clock on their computer or tablet – 'lowers the barrier to entry'. 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