Placements at Twenty10

Twenty10 does take on student placements, but we can only take one at a time. Students often help in the running of our drop-in centre or work on particular projects. The Client Services Team at Twenty10 can help you achieve your learning objectives.

To apply for a student placement position we ask you to send an e-mail to sam@twenty10.org.au that clearly states:

  • The course you are studying
  • The placement requirements (number of hours, qualifications of supervisor, etc)
  • A short statement about your learning objectives
  • Your contact details.

Due to the type of work the Client Services Team performs, we ask that students be over the age of 25 to do their placement at Twenty10.

Helpful articles on gender and sexuality

If your research assignment requires you to read some up to date and respected research on gender and sexuality, you should check out our resources page. On that page we have a number of resources for download as well as links to some great research databases like the GLHV Clearinghouse.

So have a browse and good luck with your study!

Common TAFE Questions

1. What are Twenty10's opening hours?

Monday - Friday 10am-5:00pm (Drop-in centre, appointments and phone line).

2. What is the eligibility criteria for clients?

Young people up to the age of 25 (inclusive), especially those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer and/or are same-sex attracted, intersex or gender questioning. Some services require client to be homeless or at risk of homelessness.

3. How do I refer someone to Twenty10?

To speak with a worker, call our support line and make an appointment for an assessment. (02) 8594 9555. We prefer a young person to contact us directly. Drop-in can be accessed without an appoinment.

4. Who is a contact person at the service for client issues?

Sam Hartland, Coordinator. Contact via support line.

Family and Community Studies

The gay and lesbian community is one of the marginalised communities studied within the Family and and Community Studies curriculum. Twenty10 may be able to provide senior high school students information that may assist with their assignments for Family and Community Studies.

We hope that the questions and answers below may meet your needs, along with the resources on our resource page.

If you need additional assistance, please send an e-mail to info@twenty10.org.au and clearly state the questions you need assistance with and we'll see what we can do. Good luck!

1. How does Twenty10 inform the community of its functions?

We usually promote our events through the gay and lesbian media, which is mainly free weekly or monthly newspapers that you can pick up at various locations (most of those locations are in the inner city though).

We do some advertising or community announcements in local newspapers. TripleJ and ABC Radio are usually very supportive.

We have e-mail lists of young people, donors and services that we notify of upcoming events. We also use Twitter and Facebook a lot. Online methods are increasingly important for us.

2. What are some methods of accessing the organisation?

Our website is the busiest method of contact. Then we have a phone information line, which has been going for many many years. Many school counselors, youth workers and health workers know about us as well and they may help a young person get in touch with us. We have drop-in centre that is open 5 days a week, with a group program on a Saturday. This is the method that many young people would use for their first visit - just coming down and checking us out. The good thing about that is that if they need more support - like talking to a counsellor or social worker, we can arrange a more formal time with them.

3. What are the roles of the organisation?

Welfare support and client services roles: we have counselors, social workers and youth workers available to assist young people who are having a tough time, are homeless or need support around employment, housing, family relations etc. We have one Counsellor, three Client Services Officers and one Coordinator of Client Services.

Community Capacity Building roles: this involves doing community education and trying to improve awareness about sexuality and gender and how something like homophobia can hurt all of us. It also involves working with other services to improve their ability to help young people of diverse genders and sexualities. Our Volunteer & Community Education Officer does this work along with our Development Officer and Development Manager.

Community participation and social support: We hold events and projects so young people can be part of their community and influence the world they live in. This includes art and leadership programs. Social support groups are offered so that young people can build friendship networks among themselves in a safe ans supportive environment. We have a Groups and Project Officer who is responsible for much of this role.

Governance and Management roles: we have a Board of 8 volunteers and a Managing Director who takes care of the day to day running of the organisation. We also have an Administrative Officer to keep everything moving smoothly.

4. What are your sources of funding?

Around half our funding comes from the NSW Department of Community Services under the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP). We have received that funding continuously since 1984. We receive about a quarter of our funding from the Commonwealth Department of Family, Housing and Community Services and Indigenous Affairs as a Reconnect Program. The rest of our funding comes from small grants, donors, corporate partners, fundraising and community education fees.