Latest news with #Watterson
The Age
3 days ago
- General
- The Age
‘You're too young to be on the streets': How Annie juggled school and homelessness
'I went through so many refuges until I found a stable refuge that would actually keep me for six months,' she said. 'I didn't really have that parent role to guide me to which steps I'll be taking.' There is no national data set that records how many unaccounted-for school-aged children are detached from education. In a 2019 study, Those Who Disappear, University of Melbourne researcher Jim Watterson made a conservative estimate that there may be more than 50,000, based on two state education departments' internal data. Homelessness, family violence and transience were listed as among the reasons. Watterson said more study was required. Youth Projects chair Melanie Raymond said she believed more young people are homeless and trying to finish school than official data shows. Loading 'It is a hidden and misunderstood problem,' she said. 'We see young people who never had a fair chance within a competitive education system. It is not a case of being absent from school for no reason: there's always a reason, and it's almost always related to poverty. 'We need to identify who is at risk and fund a host of interventions at all ages.' Melbourne City Mission head of social innovation Sam Barrett has been working with young homeless people for 25 years and said education was crucial when they were coming out of crisis. 'If you miss that window … and they're just wandering into doing nothing, things can go sideways,' Barrett said. Melbourne City Mission runs five youth refuges (there are 22 across Victoria and 13 youth foyers) and Hester Hornbrook Academy – a flexible school aimed at supporting students who can't attend mainstream education. They have five campuses, about 600 students and a waitlist. The school offers showers, food and laundry services. At any given time across those schools, there would be more than 50 students who didn't have somewhere to go at night, Hester Hornbrook principal Sally Lasslett said. Some would be sleeping rough, others were couch surfing, in a refuge or emergency accommodation. 'It's safer for them to sleep on a train than to go home. Or it's safer to walk the streets in Sunshine until school opens the next morning and they could come back into a community that will look after them.' Loading She said while there aren't figures on detached school students, conversations with local government areas made it clear this was an issue and that growing outer metro areas were in need. 'If we were somehow able to act as a collaborative education system to track those young people, imagine what we could do,' she said. 'Education is the key to getting out of poverty. It's the key to understanding your legal rights. It's the key to employment. We have young people who go on to get a job, and they're the first in three generations to have a full-time or part-time job. That's life-changing.' A Victorian government spokesperson said they invested $80 million to tackle youth homelessness to deliver more youth entry points and refuges across metro and regional Victoria, which included State Schools Relief for meals, uniforms and glasses and $113 million over two years for TAFE students with wrap-around services. For international students, finding support can be even more challenging. Elvis Martin was 17 when he experienced family violence, which led to him sleeping rough for almost three months. He was studying at Federation University and was unable to access support for crisis accommodation because he was an international student. He finally got support at a youth residential rehab run by CoHealth Community Health, after a six-month involuntary stay in hospital following a major depressive episode. Now 29, Martin said many university students fell through the gaps, especially international students who had precarious living situations, even though their education was a condition of their visa. Loading 'They don't even want to go and talk to a GP about it because they are really worried about immigration coming to know about some of their experience and what impact it will have on their visa,' he said. Martin said universities needed to implement early intervention, identification and wrap-around support, especially around family violence and mental health. 'Those who say, why don't they go and get a job – I want to ask: 'Will you give a job to someone who just came off the street?'' he said. Clara, 21, who asked to remain anonymous, became homeless at 19. She was attending a private all-girls school during her first experience of sleeping rough, when she was kicked out of home and spent a night on the street. 'I was still maintaining study whilst homeless. I would use public libraries for Wi-Fi and sometimes would have to seek extensions for submission dates,' she said. Thanks to support from Melbourne City Mission, which provided her with housing and work as a lived experience advisor, she's studying psychology with honours full-time at Victoria University. Loading 'The hardest thing you can do is start – once you have done that, who cares how long it takes, you're already halfway there.' After starting at Hester Hornbrook in 2021, Leutenmayr agrees. It linked her with the Salvation Army, which helped her with emergency accommodation and then a refuge. Through their support, she completed her Victorian Pathways Certificate; in April, she started a Certificate 3 healthcare course at Victoria University.
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘You're too young to be on the streets': How Annie juggled school and homelessness
'I went through so many refuges until I found a stable refuge that would actually keep me for six months,' she said. 'I didn't really have that parent role to guide me to which steps I'll be taking.' There is no national data set that records how many unaccounted-for school-aged children are detached from education. In a 2019 study, Those Who Disappear, University of Melbourne researcher Jim Watterson made a conservative estimate that there may be more than 50,000, based on two state education departments' internal data. Homelessness, family violence and transience were listed as among the reasons. Watterson said more study was required. Youth Projects chair Melanie Raymond said she believed more young people are homeless and trying to finish school than official data shows. Loading 'It is a hidden and misunderstood problem,' she said. 'We see young people who never had a fair chance within a competitive education system. It is not a case of being absent from school for no reason: there's always a reason, and it's almost always related to poverty. 'We need to identify who is at risk and fund a host of interventions at all ages.' Melbourne City Mission head of social innovation Sam Barrett has been working with young homeless people for 25 years and said education was crucial when they were coming out of crisis. 'If you miss that window … and they're just wandering into doing nothing, things can go sideways,' Barrett said. Melbourne City Mission runs five youth refuges (there are 22 across Victoria and 13 youth foyers) and Hester Hornbrook Academy – a flexible school aimed at supporting students who can't attend mainstream education. They have five campuses, about 600 students and a waitlist. The school offers showers, food and laundry services. At any given time across those schools, there would be more than 50 students who didn't have somewhere to go at night, Hester Hornbrook principal Sally Lasslett said. Some would be sleeping rough, others were couch surfing, in a refuge or emergency accommodation. 'It's safer for them to sleep on a train than to go home. Or it's safer to walk the streets in Sunshine until school opens the next morning and they could come back into a community that will look after them.' Loading She said while there aren't figures on detached school students, conversations with local government areas made it clear this was an issue and that growing outer metro areas were in need. 'If we were somehow able to act as a collaborative education system to track those young people, imagine what we could do,' she said. 'Education is the key to getting out of poverty. It's the key to understanding your legal rights. It's the key to employment. We have young people who go on to get a job, and they're the first in three generations to have a full-time or part-time job. That's life-changing.' A Victorian government spokesperson said they invested $80 million to tackle youth homelessness to deliver more youth entry points and refuges across metro and regional Victoria, which included State Schools Relief for meals, uniforms and glasses and $113 million over two years for TAFE students with wrap-around services. For international students, finding support can be even more challenging. Elvis Martin was 17 when he experienced family violence, which led to him sleeping rough for almost three months. He was studying at Federation University and was unable to access support for crisis accommodation because he was an international student. He finally got support at a youth residential rehab run by CoHealth Community Health, after a six-month involuntary stay in hospital following a major depressive episode. Now 29, Martin said many university students fell through the gaps, especially international students who had precarious living situations, even though their education was a condition of their visa. Loading 'They don't even want to go and talk to a GP about it because they are really worried about immigration coming to know about some of their experience and what impact it will have on their visa,' he said. Martin said universities needed to implement early intervention, identification and wrap-around support, especially around family violence and mental health. 'Those who say, why don't they go and get a job – I want to ask: 'Will you give a job to someone who just came off the street?'' he said. Clara, 21, who asked to remain anonymous, became homeless at 19. She was attending a private all-girls school during her first experience of sleeping rough, when she was kicked out of home and spent a night on the street. 'I was still maintaining study whilst homeless. I would use public libraries for Wi-Fi and sometimes would have to seek extensions for submission dates,' she said. Thanks to support from Melbourne City Mission, which provided her with housing and work as a lived experience advisor, she's studying psychology with honours full-time at Victoria University. Loading 'The hardest thing you can do is start – once you have done that, who cares how long it takes, you're already halfway there.' After starting at Hester Hornbrook in 2021, Leutenmayr agrees. It linked her with the Salvation Army, which helped her with emergency accommodation and then a refuge. Through their support, she completed her Victorian Pathways Certificate; in April, she started a Certificate 3 healthcare course at Victoria University.
USA Today
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'Amazing World of Gumball' Season 7 coming to Hulu with a new name: What to know
'Amazing World of Gumball' Season 7 coming to Hulu with a new name: What to know Show Caption Hide Caption 'Sesame Street' finds new streaming home on Netflix Under the agreement, Netflix will gain the rights to develop video games based on both 'Sesame Street' and its spinoff, 'Sesame Street Mecha Builders.' Scripps News Welcome back to Elmore. TV's favorite blue cat is back for more hijinks under a new name. "The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball," a continuation of the hit Cartoon Network series "The Amazing World of Gumball," is coming to Hulu. In a teaser released May 20, the Watterson home is seen covered in dust as 12-year-old Gumball and his brother Darwin wake up dried out and shiveled before realizing they're late to school, by about seven years. Both let out a gasp before Gumball quips: "Five more minutes then." The series, on Cartoon Network from 2011 to 2019, has been on hiatus for almost as long. The new series is from the original creator and executive producer, Ben Bocquelet, and produced by Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe. "The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball" will air on Hulu domestically, Cartoon Network's international channels and HBO Max outside of the United States. Read on for what we know about the new series. See Hank Hill and drone-delivered Alamo beer in first look of 'King of the Hill' revival 'The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball' release date "The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball" will premiere later this year, though an exact release date has yet to be announced. 'Sesame Street' has a new TV home What is 'The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball'? As with the original series, "The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball" will follow the misadventures of the Watterson family: Gumball (Alkaio Thiele), Darwin (Hero Hunter), their sister Anais (Kinza Syed Khan) and their parents, Nicole (Teresa Gallagher) and Richard (Dan Russell). Gallagher and Russell are returning voices, while the Watterson children will be voiced by new castmembers. In Elmore, the series synopsis reads, "The laws of reality are a joke, and family life is anything but ordinary. Whether he's battling an evil fast-food empire, facing off against a sentient AI in love with his mom or trying to stop Banana Joe from wearing pants – Gumball Watterson drags his brother Darwin, sister Anais, and the rest of the town of Elmore along for the ride. With even wilder stories, bigger twists and surreal humor, the show is so amazing that they had to rename it!"
ITV News
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ITV News
Street parties take place across the UK to mark 80 years since end of Second World War in Europe
Young and old have come together for a VE Day anniversary street party in east of the city's Woodstock Road was closed off to facilitate the Bank Holiday Monday community gathering to mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War in cloudless skies added to the party atmosphere as pensioners enjoyed afternoon tea in the spring sunshine while children played on carnival rides and amusements further up the road. Jane Watterson, a former champion flute player, was one of the performers who took to the stage to entertain the Scottish-born musician, who lives in Carrickfergus, congratulated the organisers of the event.'I love it – the fact that you've got all the wee dance troupes, you've got the Ulster Scots side of it, all different musicians, there's something to suit everybody,' she said.'And they do so well with the pensioners as well. They all get their wee high tea and all their different things. They're inclusive of everybody, regardless of age, colour, creed or religion.'Ms Watterson said it is important that the story of VE Day is passed on to the younger generations.'I think it's important to mark it every year,' she added.'To me, personally, every day is Remembrance Day because of everything that has gone on over the years and is still ongoing. But I do think it's important to mark it.'Janet Caldwell and her husband, William, joined her sisters-in-law, Rita and Edna, for the event.'I think it's very good for the community,' she said.'It's good for the kids, plenty of fun, everybody together. It's a good day for it.'We've just come down for the afternoon tea at the Peppercorn (cafe) and my wee grandchild will come over to the funfair.'She added: 'It's about remembrance really, and it's about fun and coming together and just having a good laugh, having a good day and the sun's out.' The party was hosted by the Titanic Historical and Cultural Society with support from the National Lottery's Community organiser Stephen Gough said planning work began 11 months ago.'Just behind us is Willowfield war memorial and the community are very proud of it,' he said.'But at the same time, as well as remembering, it's about coming out, meeting people that you haven't seen for a while, old friends, and the community coming out and having a good time, putting the smiles on their faces, seeing the children happy.'And that's what it's really all about – as well as remembering VE 80.'
Rhyl Journal
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Young and old enjoy spring sunshine at VE Day party in east Belfast
Part of the city's Woodstock Road was closed off to facilitate the Bank Holiday Monday community gathering to mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe. The cloudless skies added to the party atmosphere as pensioners enjoyed afternoon tea in the spring sunshine while children played on carnival rides and amusements further up the road. Jane Watterson, a former champion flute player, was one of the performers who took to the stage to entertain the crowds. The Scottish-born musician, who lives in Carrickfergus, congratulated the organisers of the event. 'I love it – the fact that you've got all the wee dance troupes, you've got the Ulster Scots side of it, all different musicians, there's something to suit everybody,' she said. 'And they do so well with the pensioners as well. They all get their wee high tea and all their different things. They're inclusive of everybody, regardless of age, colour, creed or religion.' Ms Watterson said it is important that the story of VE Day is passed on to the younger generations. 'I think it's important to mark it every year,' she added. 'To me, personally, every day is Remembrance Day because of everything that has gone on over the years and is still ongoing. But I do think it's important to mark it.' Janet Caldwell and her husband, William, joined her sisters-in-law, Rita and Edna, for the event. 'I think it's very good for the community,' she said. 'It's good for the kids, plenty of fun, everybody together. It's a good day for it. 'We've just come down for the afternoon tea at the Peppercorn (cafe) and my wee grandchild will come over to the funfair.' She added: 'It's about remembrance really, and it's about fun and coming together and just having a good laugh, having a good day and the sun's out.' The party was hosted by the Titanic Historical and Cultural Society with support from the National Lottery's Community Fund. Event organiser Stephen Gough said planning work began 11 months ago. 'Just behind us is Willowfield war memorial and the community are very proud of it,' he said. 'But at the same time, as well as remembering, it's about coming out, meeting people that you haven't seen for a while, old friends, and the community coming out and having a good time, putting the smiles on their faces, seeing the children happy. 'And that's what it's really all about – as well as remembering VE 80.'
