Swinburne Young Mums apply for Victorian Government grant

Swinburne’s Young Mums program, an initiative providing a supportive environment for young mothers to complete their secondary education, has listed its Teen Mums ’Wellness’ Social Enterprise Program on the Victorian Government’s Pick My Project website to gain much-needed funding for its Snuggle Boxes micro business.

The Young Mums program submitted an application to Pick My Project – a Victorian-first community grants initiative – on behalf of the program.

Pick My Project empowers locals to decide what grassroots projects come to life in their community. 

With at least $1 million in funding available in each metropolitan and regional area, anyone can select up to three project ideas in their community to help see them come to life.

Young Mums program co-convener Samantha Jones says the funding would allow the Young Mums team to fully implement the Snuggle Boxes program, continuing to empower young women and ready them for the workforce.

Giving young mums a head start

Snuggle Boxes was developed last year in the Young Mums program. The business produces Baby Welcome Boxes designed for mothers and their newborns, filled with health and wellbeing products, including information about safe sleeping and other essential knowledge for young mums, with the box itself serving as a cot.

Program co-convener Louise Schilling says the program empowers the girls with real-life skills, self-confidence, and a valuable support network.

“Students gain new skills and knowledge that can lead to employment or starting their own business,” she says.

“It’s promoting wellbeing for everybody – for the students and for whoever buys the product. That’s really important for the girls.”

Promoting wellbeing is at the core of the Young Mums program and if the business can continue, the students have pledged to donate 10 percent of the Snuggle Boxes profits to a neonatal unit in the community.

“Learning should be engaging and meaningful, especially when you are facing so many new challenges in your life as a young mother. Pick My Project would allow our students to achieve this,” Ms Schilling says.   

To support the continuation of the Young Mums’ Snuggle Boxes social enterprise, cast your vote on Pick my Project.

Note: To vote you need to be a Victorian resident aged 16 and over. Voters must register for a free account on the Pick My Project website. Once you’ve registered you’ll have three votes to allocate to project ideas you’d like to see funded in your local community. You need to live or be connected to the local community in which you vote. Voting closes on 17 September.

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