I was shocked and devastated to hear the news re the cessation of funding, especially given ACYS' long history and the crucial part it plays in providing a fulcrum for the disparate parts of the youth sector (policy-makers, practitioners and academics). This is on top of losing Youth Studies Australia a year or so ago, due to an earlier round of funding cuts. I find the youth sector very fractured across Australia, and the ACYS website was a fabulous place to go to find everything all in one place. YFX was a great portal to find news about policy, practice and sector events. There are other lists, but none have the vital Australia-wide and International breadth that YFX / the website did, and, most seem to focus on the service-delivery sector (not so much research or policy). I used these resources extensively in my teaching, and also referred students to them as a primary portal for information. It will be a great loss to lose these irreplaceable resources.

I do feel for you all, and especially for those of you who will now be looking for work. Most of all I hope that we are able to reverse the decision to de-fund ACYS, but, if not I hope that you go on to bigger and better things. For those of you based in Tasmania, I hope that your local members and senators have had something to say about the issue. Not only was it a feather in Tasmania's cap to have such a prestigious and important national organisation located there, but its closing is yet another blow for the Island in terms of its economy and employment figures.

Please let me know if there is any way in which I can help to reverse this appalling decision.

My thoughts are with you all,

Kathy

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Dr Kathy Edwards
School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, Bld 37.2
RMIT University