Natasha Ransford

Hansard ID: HANSARD-1323879322-168228

Hansard session: Fifty-Eighth Parliament, First Session (58-1)

Natasha Ransford

Mr MARK COURE (Oatley)

—Speaker, I would like to congratulate Oatley resident Natasha Ransford on being named one of five finalists for the Create Change Award in the 7NEWS NSW Young Achiever Awards. This recognition celebrates Natasha's leadership in tackling youth homelessness through The BEAR Project (Be Engaged, Act, Rise), a grassroots initiative she helped establish in 2024 to support young people across the St George and Sutherland Shire communities. As a youth mentor with Project Youth, Natasha has played a leading role in raising awareness of hidden homelessness, encouraging schools and the wider community to recognise the signs and support vulnerable young people before they reach a crisis point. Under Natasha's leadership, The BEAR Project has engaged 20 schools, delivering workshops and information stalls, distributing hundreds of practical support resources, and engaging more than 100 community members to pledge their support for the cause. This is such a fantastic initiative and it is truly wonderful to see a project of such calibre operating within our local area. I would like to congratulate Natasha on her well-deserved recognition and wish her every success in the future.