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What is HEY?
Healthy Equal Youth (HEY) is a partnership between Youth Affairs Council Victoria (YACVic) and the Victorian Government established to deliver place-based support, services and opportunities for LGBTQIA+ young people.
The first of its kind in Australia, the vision of HEY is that LGBTQIA+ young Victorians have their rights upheld, and are safe, empowered and celebrated.
HEY works by bringing together a network of partner organisations, known as the HEY Partners, who provide peer support, referrals, community visibility, celebration and education.
Through the HEY Grants, there is up to $10,000 of funding available each year for projects that support the mental health and wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ young people. Over 13 years, the Partners have supported over 120 organisations and provided more than $1.3 million in funding.
HEY is backed by years of lived experience, expertise, and evidence-based practice. We support young people in their self-discovery and pride, connecting them with community, and helping them to improve their overall mental health and wellbeing.
HEY is proudly funded and supported by the Victorian Government.
HEY Grants
HEY Grants are an annual small grant round that is available for projects and initiatives aimed at improving the overall mental health and wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ young Victorians.
The grants are awarded to initiatives that raise awareness, promote diversity, eliminate stigma and discrimination and aim to improve community support for LGBTIQA+ young people.
Grants aren’t just provided to LGBTIQA+ based services but are also given to mainstream services to support the further breakdown of barriers that exist for LGBTIQA+ young people in all spaces.
HEY Partners
The HEY Partners are a group of 17 organisations that work together to deliver inclusive spaces and programs for LGBTIQA+ young Victorians.
As a collective, the HEY Partners collaborate on a range of projects, working to develop a consistent cohort of services, information and training across Victoria. They provide peer support, referrals to specialist services, community visibility, education, and targeted community development programs for LGBTIQA+ young people.
HEY Day
HEY Day is the annual event hosted by YACVic and the HEY Partners which brings together the LGBTIQA+ community sector and the youth sector. The event is the formal announcement of the successful annual HEY Grant recipients, and an opportunity to discuss emerging issues for LGBTIQA+ young people.
For all questions and queries about HEY, contact the HEY Projects Officer at HEY@YACVic.org.au.