Empowering young people, teaching them life skills, promoting regular school attendance and keeping them connected and engaged through sports and after-school activities can have a profound and multifaceted impact on a community.

Life skills play a fundamental role in fostering personal growth, well-being, self-reliance and successful navigation of life's challenges and opportunities.

Regular school attendance is essential for a child's overall development, providing them with the necessary skills, knowledge, and social experiences to thrive in both academic and personal aspects of life.

It also offers opportunities for young people to develop leadership skills and become active contributors and agents of positive change in their community.

The Purple Hands Foundation programs aim to support at-risk and disadvantaged youth, particularly those coming from low socio-economic backgrounds and living in regional and remote communities.

Through the mechanism of sport, we are able to engage and connect with young people, break down barriers and provide non-conventional learning that is adapted to suit learning ability.

Some of the key social issues Purple Hands Foundation programs aim to address are;

• Physical and mental health
• School absenteeism and lower education levels
• Anti-social behaviour and youth crime
• Restricted access to opportunities
• Inclusion and connection to community
• Cultural identity

The facts

Health and Wellbeing
25% of Australian children aged 5 to 17 years are overweight or obese. (Ref)

Social isolation and loneliness can be harmful to both mental and physical health. Disconnection from community is a risk factor to developing loneliness. (Ref 1) (Ref 2)

Education
Low education levels lead to poor lifelong health and wellbeing outcomes, particularly for at-risk groups such as those from low socio-economic backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and those living in rural and remote communities. (Ref 1) (Ref 2)

Incarceration
WA has the second highest level of First Nations incarceration in Australia. (Ref)

Rural and Remote
The lack of accessible, effective and comprehensive service delivery to rural and remote WA leads to poor outcomes and cycles of disadvantage. (Ref)