SONDERS HEADSPACE CENTRES
COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD
NOMINATED FOR
Adelaide
Profiles on this page have been prepared and submitted by nominees or their representatives as part of the South Australian Pride Awards process. Content reflects the words, achievements, and information provided in those submissions. Pride Adelaide has not edited profiles beyond minor formatting or clarity adjustments. Inclusion on this page does not represent an endorsement, assessment, or ranking and does not influence the independent judging process.
How would you describe yourself or your work in one sentence?
Creating safer spaces, stronger voices, and real change for LGBTQIA+ young people and families.
Tell us a little about what you do
We are a multidisciplinary, youth-focused mental health and wellbeing service dedicated to supporting LGBTQIA+ young people and their families to feel safe, seen, and empowered. Our work sits at the intersection of clinical care, community advocacy, workforce development, and systems change.
Through trauma-informed, affirming practice, we provide accessible mental health support, strengthen family understanding, build inclusive service systems, and actively advocate for safer, more responsive environments across health, education, and community sectors. Our approach centres lived experience, cultural humility, and genuine partnership, ensuring that support is not only clinically sound but deeply human.
A key part of our model is creating spaces where young people can connect with others who share their experiences. Programs such as SAGA and Gender Dive, our LGBTQIA+ group program, provide structured peer support and therapeutic engagement, helping young people build confidence, resilience, and a sense of belonging.
We also believe young people should have a voice in shaping the services designed for them. Our Youth Reference Group provides a formal governance structure that allows LGBTQIA+ young people to directly influence service design, delivery, and community initiatives, ensuring our work remains relevant, responsive, and accountable.
Partnership is central to how we work. Through collaborations with organisations such as Minus18, we support initiatives like the Queer Formal, creating safe, affirming social spaces where LGBTQIA+ young people can celebrate identity, connection, and community in environments that are often not available elsewhere.
What impact or achievement are you most proud of this year?
Our work has led to tangible, measurable improvements in access, safety, and outcomes for LGBTQIA+ young people. We have increased early engagement with mental health services, reduced barriers to care, and strengthened pathways for timely, affirming support.
Young people now report feeling safer to disclose their identities, more confident to seek help, and more connected to community. Families demonstrate improved understanding, reduced fear and stigma, and stronger relationships.
Across our centres, a significant proportion of young people accessing services (up to 40%) identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. These numbers reflect something powerful: young people see our services as safe, trusted spaces where they can show up as their authentic selves.
Through partnerships, workforce training, group programs, and community events, we have also influenced practice change across partner organisations. This has led to more inclusive policies, safer environments, and improved staff capability creating ripple effects well beyond our direct service reach.
Why does your work matter to the community?
For many LGBTQIA+ young people, stigma, isolation, and fear remain daily realities. Our work helps shift this narrative from one of risk and vulnerability to one of strength, belonging, and hope.
By embedding inclusive, trauma-informed practices across services and systems, we contribute to safer communities, reduced mental health crises, and improved long-term wellbeing. This not only benefits individuals and families but strengthens community resilience, connection, and understanding.
The impact extends well beyond those we directly support, shaping a more compassionate and inclusive South Australia where young people can thrive.
What would you like voters to know when voting for you?
A vote for us is a vote for meaningful, sustained community change. Our work goes beyond awareness and good intentions. It translates into practical action: safer services, stronger partnerships, empowered young people, and families who feel supported rather than isolated. We consistently turn intention into impact ensuring LGBTQIA+ young people are met with respect, affirmation, and real support at moments when it matters most. Voting for us helps amplify this work, expand its reach, and reinforce the message that inclusive, compassionate care is essential for a healthy, thriving community.