You are here :

Make a Child Smile Today

Make a Child Smile Today


Invest in their happy memories “I’ve dreamed of my 18th Birthday Party. It was on a boat and I had all the people that have made a difference in my life. I have never had a real party so I thought I would take this opportunity to tell you my dream so it might come true”

Memories provide us with a context for who we are. Positive memories help us see ourselves in a positive light – as someone worth caring for and celebrating.

The Positive Memory Bank is a fund providing children and young people in Berry Street’s programs and services with opportunities to build their own bank of positive memories.

For children and young people who have suffered the trauma of neglect, abuse and family violence, positive childhood memories can be few and far between. The Positive Memory Bank provides grants to children and young people to:

  • Promote fun – opportunities to play, have adventures, be a child etc.
  • Provide ‘normal’ experiences – opportunities to do things that other kids their age do, things that connect them to their peers and community outside the welfare system, going to restaurants, camping, having sleepovers etc.
  • Enable a sense of achievement – Things that enable them to feel like they have something to offer, skills that people value, the ability to succeed.
  • Connect children and young people to their family – opportunities that facilitate and support connection to family like enabling a family member to attend their Deb Ball, or supplying a family movie pass or zoo pass so they can do activities together.
  • Provide resources – equipment and financial resources that enable them to access recreation and personal development opportunities such as musical instruments or the money to pay for music lessons.

Every child and young person can apply for up to $1,000 towards their own positive memory experience. On average applications are between $500-$1,000.

Because we’re trying to create a sustainable source of funding to make sure we can always provide these opportunities for our children and young people, we’re building an endowment fund with the donations made to the Positive Memory Bank… and we have an ambitious target!

With your help we want to raise $2million to invest in the happy memories of many generations to come. Donations must be a minimum of $1,000 – the cost of just one happy memory in a child’s life. You can keep an eye how your support helps us progress using the indicator on the right of this page… watch it grow with us!

Your support will make amazing things happen for a child or young person like:



Zara's Story


Ben's story


Mary's story