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COTTON ON FOUNDATION WELLBEING PARTNER – STRONG BROTHER STRONG SISTER

3rd November, 2021

Cotton On Foundation’s wellbeing mission is to deliver activities that promote the optimum physical, mental and psychosocial health of those communities we support. One of our Australian partners, Strong Brother Strong Sister is a 100% Aboriginal owned and operated organisation founded on Wadawurrung land (the home of the Cotton On Group) and is one of the amazing organisations we work with helping us to achieve our mission.

A culturally safe place for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to access and thrive, the Strong Brother Strong Sister structure and programs are designed to help guide, mentor and empower young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to achieve excellence, and improve their health and wellbeing.

“Connecting to culture is important to our young people as we are trying to heal the impact of first colonisation and by connecting back, it helps us restore our identity, our communities, our families, and our way of living. And that as Aboriginal people is the very essence of who we are,” says Strong Brother Strong Sister’s Deputy Chief Executive Keeden Graham.

Offering a range of Mentoring Programs and Youth Groups both online and in person, Strong Brother Strong Sister’s key programs include 1:1 Mentoring Sessions, access to Suicide Prevention Programs and a Family Support Program for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Greater Geelong region (Wadawurrung Country).

Since their inception in 2017, Strong Brother Strong Sister has:

  • Supported over 2,000 people to access wellbeing services
  • Supported 64 people to access suicide prevention services, including 26 family members of young people
  • Supported 143 young people with personally tailored one-on-one mentoring services
  • Delivered over 280 Koori youth groups
  • Supported five young people to return home to country for a week long trip

In the course of our partnership, our aim is to support Strong Brother Strong Sister in the following outcomes:

  • To strengthen young people’s connection to culture and sense of belonging
  • To strengthen young people’s social, emotional, health and wellbeing
  • To increase the percentage of young people leaving school for meaningful activity

In exciting news, Keeden has been nominated for Young Australian of the Year, for his contributions as an Indigenous youth mentor, testament to his commitment to improving outcomes for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth in his community.

100% of proceeds from the sale of Cotton On Foundation items online until December 31 will support our wellbeing projects in Uganda, South Africa, Thailand and Australia. Find Strong Brother Strong Sister on Instagram by clicking here.