Australia's first You Can Centre opened at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital on Thursday, May 2. The Hon. Tanya Plibersek MP, Minister for Health, opened the centre, calling it a "home away from home" for those adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer in WA.

Prior to the official opening, young patients who will be using the centre got to have a sneak peek at their new space. They also received a surprise visit from Sony Foundation ambassador and Sony Music artist Samantha Jade, who spoke to them about their different experiences and what the You Can Centre means to them. Many of the adolescent and young adult patients had never met another young person during their treatment and the morning's meeting gave them a chance to realise there are many other young people fighting the same battle.

Channel Seven's Angela Tsun hosted the official launch, which was attended by cricketing legend and Sony Foundation Life Member Dennis Lillee, retired AFL player Glen Jakovich, former rugby league player Matt Fuller, former cricketer Justin Langer and a number of medical professionals from WA. Samantha Jade performed and Tanya Plibersek MP made a stirring speech about the importance of youth cancer care.

The You Can Centre, along with the Youth Cancer Service, will ensure young Western Australian cancer patients will have access to specialist in-patient and out-patient treatment and support. The WA Youth Cancer Service, which will be housed within the new centre, is a major expansion of work previously done by the WA Cancer and Palliative Care Network as part of their partnership with CanTeen.

Sony Foundation would like to thank the Sony companies and its corporate partners for their support. Further thanks must go to Nick Scali and Foxtel for their help with fit out.

The Federal Government, Sony Foundation and CanTeen have joined forces to close the gap in youth cancer care by opening Australia's first You Can Centre and extending the Youth Cancer Services at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth on May 2.

The transition from childhood to adulthood is challenging but it is particularly tough for the one in 125 young people fighting for their lives against cancer. Young Australians face particularly difficult cancer journeys as a result of the unique biology of cancers specific to young people and a lack of resources targeted at youth. This is apparent in cancers like Leukaemia, where young people have a much poorer chance of survival than children. Specialised youth cancer facilities and services that understand and can work with the unique needs of young people are needed. This was the reason for the establishment of national fundraising campaign 'You Can' in 2010 and is now the impetus behind the launch of Australia's first You Can Centre at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth.

The You Can Centre will be opened on May 2, 2013, by the Hon. Tanya Plibersek MP, Minister for Health. It will cater to the needs of young cancer patients aged 15-25, a demographic that is currently falling through the gap in our health care system. 'You Can' was established in 2010 by Sony Foundation and CanTeen in response to the gap in care for adolescents and young adults with cancer. In partnership with the Federal Government, You Can aims to establish specialised youth cancer centres and services around the country. The You Can Centre has been built with a $1.8 million donation from Sony Foundation and $1.2 million in funding from the Federal Government.

"Sony Foundation is incredibly proud to be funding Australia's first You Can centre. This centre is an important milestone in addressing the gap in care for young Australians battling cancer. In partnership with CanTeen and the Federal Government, Sony Foundation is committed to ongoing fundraising to support the development of further You Can Centres around Australia," said Sony Foundation CEO Sophie Ryan.

The You Can Centre, along with the provision of additional funding to the Western Australian Youth Cancer Service by CanTeen, will ensure young Western Australian cancer patients will have access to specialist in-patient and out-patient treatment and support. The WA Youth Cancer Service, which will be housed within the new centre, is a major expansion of work previously done by the WA Cancer and Palliative Care Network as part of their partnership with CanTeen.

The You Can Centre has been designed with input from a youth advisory group and the facility has been fitted out with Sony entertainment products and includes colourful recreation spaces, counselling areas and an office for the multidisciplinary Youth Cancer Services team. This will ensure young people can receive coordinated medical, psychosocial and holistic treatment from a range of specialist health professionals in an age-specific manner and environment.

In the past, care in paediatric and adult facilities has sometimes meant that access to the most appropriate treatments, clinical trials and psychosocial support for this group has not been available with reviews showing a high risk of non-compliance of young people with treatment when sharing treatment facilities with young children and the elderly.

The You Can Centre aims to improve outcomes by enabling young people to be amongst peers in an encouraging environment away from clinical environments that are associated with their stringent treatment regimes. Additionally, psychosocial support alongside medical care is critical to ensure full participation in treatment and to reduce the risk of long-term effects that can occur after cancer treatment. These include higher incidences of mental health issues, unemployment and chronic physical health issues. A multi-disciplinary approach to deal with mental health and other issues will go a long way to reconnect teenagers with education and employment post-treatment and reduce the long term impacts of cancer for survivors.

On Thursday March 21, some of Sydney's best celebrity golfers headed out to Terrey Hills Golf and Country Club to join Sony Foundation's 10th Annual Golf Challenge in support of its Children's Holiday Camps Program. Friendly rivalries turned into serious competition as the stars hit the fairway in a day that raised $80,000 for the Camps Program.

Channel Nine's Karl Stefanovic, TodayFM's Andy Lee, Deborah Hutton, Johnny Ruffo, Sydney Swans players Nick Malceski, Marty Mattner and Ryan O'Keefe and Sony Foundation ambassador Sam Armytage will all hit the greens in the name of the Holiday Camps Program. Sam was so committed to the day, she played all 18 holes despite having a broken toe.

"Sony Foundation would like to thank all of the stars who so generously gave up their time to help us raise $80,000 for our remarkable Children's Holiday Camp Program," said Sony Foundation CEO, Sophie Ryan.

"Everyone had a fantastic day on the course from the celebrities to the corporate teams to the volunteers to the golf pros! People are already signing up for next year's event."

The Sony Foundation Children's Holiday Camp Program has been running since 1999. Since it began, Sony Foundation has funded hundreds of camps across Australia, allowing thousands of children with special needs to be given an amazing holiday free of charge. Not only that, the camps also provide much needed respite for parents, siblings and primary carers in what may be their only break of the year.

Hosted at high schools, the students, supported by a team of dedicated teaching and medical staff, are responsible for the care of these children twenty four hours a day over the course of the four-day Camp. They quickly learn about the challenges and demands involved in caring for a child with special needs. Not only do the students have an enriching experience, but the children are treated to a weekend full of activities and interactions they would not normally have the opportunity to experience.

Sony Music artists Justice Crew headed to Lisarow Public School on the Central Coast to surprise the students on Friday, February 8. The school won Sony Foundation’s ‘You Can’ Schools Phone Recycling Campaign in 2012 and the performance by Justice Crew was their winning prize.

Justice Crew put on a stellar performance for all the students, despite the sizzling heat. The students were up and dancing, waving their hands in the air and participating in an onstage dance-off!

Lisarow Public School has just 320 students yet they somehow managed to collect a whopping 921 phones last year. These old phones, which can be worth up to $5 when recycled, are donated to the ‘You Can’ campaign. All of the money raised is then used to fund the establishment of youth cancer centres and services around Australia. So far, more than 450,000 old mobile phones have been donated to ‘You Can’ and we are hoping to get tens of thousands more in 2013. (For more information, visit www.youcan.org.au)

The intimate performance was a reminder of how a small group of determined children can make a huge difference. It also marked the relaunch of the ‘You Can’ Schools Phone Recycling Campaign for 2013. Watch this space!

Football superstar Alessandro Del Piero has hosted a dinner in Melbourne which raised $35,000 for Sony Foundation's 'You Can' campaign.

'A Night With Alessandro Del Piero' was held on February 22 at Melbourne's Crown Palladium with 600 of Del Piero's biggest fans in attendance. Sony Foundation had been named as the charity beneficiary for the evening in 2012.

During the dinner, 19-year-old 'You Can' advocate Jason Carrasco spoke to the room about his battle with cancer. Jason was diagnosed with testicular cancer when he was 17 years old. His best friend, Cass Nascimento, has been battling with brain cancer since she was 16. Jason's story moved the crowd, bringing some guests to tears.

"As people, we don’t get to choose how we are going to die, or when. We can only decide how we are going to live right now. Every day is a new chance to choose," Jason said.

The $35,000 was raised through a charity raffle and selected auction prizes. Del Piero is a strong advocate for cancer research in Italy and Sony Foundation is very grateful for his support of our youth cancer cause. Thank you to Tribal Sports Management and Alessandro Del Piero for all of their support of 'You Can'.

Sony Foundation’s Children’s Holiday Camp Program had another fantastic year in 2012, with the Foundation funding 22 camps across Australia. Senior school students from all over the country gave up their holidays to volunteer to become the primary carers of children with special needs.

The Holiday Camp Program makes a difference to the lives of many. Families are given a well-earned rest, the children have the holiday of a lifetime and the teenage carers are given an experience they will never forget.

A Current Affair visited the St Ignatius Riverview Camp in December and put to air an amazing story, calling the piece “one of the feel-good stories of the year”. Click here to watch the video.

It was a particularly special year for the Knox and Abbotsleigh Camp as they received a visit from Sony Music artists Justice Crew, who put on an electrifying and highly energetic performance for the children and their companions. Sony Music artist Timomatic also travelled up to Brisbane to visit the camps in the September holidays, much to the delight of the campers. A truly inspiring and ‘Incredible’ video was produced after the visit. Click here to watch it and make sure to share it with your friends.

The students, supported by a team of dedicated teaching and medical staff, are responsible for the care of these children 24 hours a day over the course of the camp. They quickly learn about the challenges and demands involved in caring for a child with special needs. Not only do the students have an enriching experience but the children are treated to a weekend full of activities and interactions they would not normally have the opportunity to experience. The camps also provide much needed respite for parents, siblings and primary carers in what may be their only break of the year.

The Sony Foundation is committed to expanding the camps further to enable more young people to participate in this life-changing program.

Summer is well and truly here and that means one thing... The Big Bash League is in full swing!

If you haven’t been to see the current World Twenty20 Champions, the Sydney Sixers, play yet then make sure you join us at the SCG on Wednesday, January 9 at 7pm.

The Sixers will be playing the Melbourne Renegades in a charity match, which means Sony Foundation will be at the ground fundraising all evening!

Sony Foundation is the charity partner the Sixers, who have got behind Sony Foundation’s ‘You Can’ campaign and are helping to raise funds and awareness about youth cancer.

So come on down and help us hit youth cancer for six!

During the camp, the children had learnt dance moves to Timomatic's song 'Incredible' and were treated to a special performance at the end of their stay.

This moment is captured in a touching video that is sure to warm your heart. Click here to watch it.

Sony Foundation's camp program gives children with special needs an opportunity to attend a four day camp hosted by high schools across Australia. Year 11 and 12 students take time out their school holidays to take on the role of a full-time carer of these young children.

The stars were out in force on Thursday, October 25 for Sony Foundation’s annual Wharf4Ward fundraising lunch. Woolloomooloo Wharf has never looked better, hosting more than 800 guests to a day of fine food, wine and entertainment all the while raising a staggering $630,000 for Sony Foundation’s charity campaign ‘You Can’ – a national fundraising and awareness campaign set up by Sony Foundation and CanTeen to raise much-needed funds for specialised youth cancer care and services around the country.

Sony Music artists including Justice Crew, Timomatic and US band Hot Chelle Rae blew the guests away. A surprise performance from Jessica Mauboy ended the day and got everyone up and dancing. The X Factor finalists also put on a spectacular show which proved all of them are worthy of star status.

The event was hosted by supporters from each major network:  Channel Seven’s Samantha Armytage, James Tobin, Natalie Bassingthwaite and Luke Jacobz; Nine Network’s Peter Overton, Richard Wilkins and Georgie Gardner and Network Ten’s Natarsha Belling and Hamish Macdonald. Peter Garrett made a surprise entrance at the end of the day, arriving in time to see Jess Mauboy perform and to thank everyone for coming.

Plenty of celebrities attended at the lunch, including Nikki Phillips, Charlotte Dawson, Kerri-Ann Kennerly, Ben Fordham, Nikki Phillips, Didier Cohen and Karl Stefanovic.

Sophie Ryan, Chief Executive Officer, Sony Foundation Australia, said: "800 guests, six restaurants, 200m of wharf, five live music acts and 11 hosts – the recipe for an amazing day. It was also a great example of how people can come together to raise more than half a million dollars for a much-needed cause.

"This money goes to Sony Foundation’s ‘You Can’ campaign to help young Australians survive cancer and we’re ecstatic with the result.  This money will make a measurable difference to the lives of young Australians with cancer".

Guests enjoyed a sparkling Pommery reception followed by lunch at some of Sydney’s most celebrated restaurants: Aki’s, China Doll, Manta, Otto Ristorante, Criniti’s and Kingsley’s Steak & Crabhouse. The party continued into the evening at the VodkaO After Party at the Tilbury Hotel.

On October 4, Sony Foundation Australia and The Salvation Army opened their state-of-the-art youth and community centre  in Goodna, a suburb of Ipswich left devastated by the Queensland floods in 2011. After the water receded and the news crews and celebrities left, the Salvos and Sony Foundation stayed behind to rebuild the shattered community. Sony Music artists Pete Murray and Mark Vincent performed at the opening and were welcomed by the locals with open arms.

The new centre was unveiled in front of community leaders, locals and representatives from the Salvation Army, Sony Music and Sony Australia. The centre will provide Goodna with a vital hub. It has been built from funds donated to the Salvation Army Flood Appeal from the sale of Sony Music’s CD FLOOD RELIEF - Artists for the Flood Appeal in 2011. The album featured 59 tracks from Aussie artists including Midnight Oil, Guy Sebastian and Jessica Mauboy as well as international artists like Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen and the Foo Fighters. Australians rallied to the cause and propelled the 'Flood Relief' album to number one in the charts.

The new centre will feature a number of services including a youth and family counsellor who will be employed to help schools, young people and families in the area as well as a youth worker who will organise a number of activities at the centre such as sports events, after-school programs, homework clubs and youth camps.

The relief centre will also provide long-term services to benefit the local and wider communities. A qualified legal practitioner will be on site to provide free legal advice, a financial support service will help locals with their finances, a homelessness prevention worker will be on hand to work with at-risk individuals and a Salvos Family Store will open to provide a community-based, low cost clothing store as well as giving locals  a chance to learn how to work in retail.

Goodna struggled with social issues, particularly with their young people, even before the floods hit. Since then, local leaders and youth workers identified a growing number of social problems which the centre aims to combat. Students and young people were increasingly disengaged, skipping school and were unmotivated to learn. Together, Sony Foundation Australia and the Salvation Army will provide a tangible support base for the community.

Sophie Ryan, the CEO of Sony Foundation, is excited by the wealth of opportunities the centre will provide.

"We hope this centre will be a beacon of hope – providing both a physical hub and emotional support for the community affected by the devastating floods of 2012. We are proud to make this long term commitment to the region of Ipswich," Ms Ryan said.

The centre, which will receive ongoing support from Sony Foundation and the Salvation Army,  will re-empower these young people, connect them with others who were adversely affected by the floods and will ensure the natural disaster does not affect their progress in the years to come.

Sony Foundation is proud to announce a special partnership between JETS, Katies and You Can for summer 2012. JETS is introducing a ‘You Can’ capsule collection into Katies stores around the country.

The JETS You Can collection will be available to purchase both in-store and online at Katies from October 24, 2012. The collection was developed by JETS to assist with raising the profile of the You Can campaign and its achievements.

95,999 You Can envelopes have been distributed throughout Katies stores nationally and all online orders will encourage people to donate their old mobile phones and in turn raise valuable funds for the You Can campaign.

For more information, visit the Katies website.

Sony Foundation, together with CanTeen, has launched a national youth cancer fundraising campaign encouraging school students to give their old phones the flick. The ‘You Can’ program calls on school students to donate their old mobile phones to help raise money to build specialised teenage cancer centres across the country.

In doing so, not only will students be helping young Australians survive cancer and be contributing to a greener planet, they will also be rewarded for their efforts with free Sony products and the chance to win a Sony Music performance at their school assembly.

It is estimated there are 20 million unwanted mobile phones in Australian homes1. Sony Foundation and CanTeen will reward all schools and students who collect 100 phones – helping turn trash into treasure. Depending on how many mobile phones are donated there are a range of laptops, cameras and other educational products on offer.

The top collecting school will win a performance at their school assembly from one of Sony Music’s celebrated artists including Reece Mastin, Johnny Ruffo, Jessica Mauboy, Stan Walker and Justice Crew. The rewards program allows all schools, no matter how big or small, to benefit from their involvement in the ‘You Can’. Most importantly, students will be contributing to an important charitable cause, without donating a single dollar.

Peter Orchard, Chief Executive Officer of CanTeen, explains ‘Through over 25 years of working with young people with cancer, we know their needs are unique. We need cancer services designed specifically for young people to improve outcomes for this group that have stagnated for decades. With the support of schools, we can make a huge difference to the lives of teenagers with cancer’.

With cancer the biggest disease killer of Australian teenagers, there is an obvious and urgent need for action. To register visit www.youcanschools.org.au or call 1800 YOU CAN.

Naming-rights partner St.George Bank has joined forces with the Queensland Reds to strengthen the Super Rugby Champions’ bid to support young Australians with cancer, through the Sony Foundation’s You Can campaign.

The You Can campaign collects and recycles unwanted mobile phones of all brands, with the funds raised going towards the building of specialised youth cancer centres across Australia.

As well as dropping off their old phones at all Reds home games, Queenslanders will also be able to dispose of their old mobile phones by using reply paid envelopes which are available in all St.George bank branches across the state.

Queensland Reds coach Ewen McKenzie said the Reds squad alone has donated around 30 phones so far to the cause and he expects that number to reach 100.

“The boys always seems to be in touch with the latest gadgets, so I’m sure most of them would have at least one unused phone lying around at home,” McKenzie said.

“By donating old phones they’ll be helping make a difference to the lives of young Australians, no different to themselves.

“It’s great that St.George have come onboard to help us in our bid to lend our support to the Sony Foundation’s You Can campaign.”

You Can collection bins and also free post envelopes will be at all St.George Queensland Reds home games and in all St.George Bank branches across the state.

For more information visit www.youcan.org.au

Australian adventurers Cas (James Castrission, 29) and Jonesy (Justin Jones, 28) have created history by becoming the first pair to travel the 2270km journey from the edge of Antarctica to the South Pole and back, totally unsupported.The arduous trek was in support of Sony Foundation's You Can campaign, which supports young people in Australia with cancer.

After 89 days pushing the very limits of mental and physical pain in one of the planet’s most unpredictable and harshest landscapes, Cas and Jonesy fittingly completed their trek on Australia Day just in time for the last flight out of Antarctica for the season. Suffering from severe sleep and food depravation the boys have experienced hallucinations, continuous fatigue and painful injuries. The pair have been rationing food for most of the expedition and have lost approximately 55kg between them.

“It’s an absolutely fantastic feeling, I can’t describe the elation I am feeling right now,” said Cas. “It’s been nearly three months of extreme hardship and at times simply surviving this adventure has been our goal.”

“Despite the blisters, ulcers, soreness and fatigue I feel fantastic!” explained Jonesy. “This trek has been the most mentally and physically demanding thing I have ever done but it feels worth it!”

The Crossing the Ice expedition raised over $60,000 for the Sony Foundation charitable campaign You Can, which supports young people in Australia with cancer. For more information visit: www.youcan.org.au

The Sydney Sixers have done it – they are the first ever KFC T20 Big Bash League Champions after beating the Perth Scorchers by seven wickets in a thrilling final.

A brilliant 110-run opening partnership by Moises Henriques and Steve O’Keefe has led the Men in Magenta to a memorable and historic victory in front a packed house at the WACA.

In front of a sold out crowd and television audiences never seen before in Australian domestic cricket, the Sixers capped off a history making competition to go down in the record books as the first winners of the Big Bash League. Along the way the Sixers have raised both money and awareness for youth cancer and Sony Foundation's 'You Can' campaign. Sony Foundation thanks the Sixers for their incredible support and congratulates them on their well-deserved victory.

On Thursday, 13 October 2011, Sony Foundation Australia took over the full line-up of restaurants at Sydney’s Woolloomooloo Wharf to host 800 guests for a lunchtime fundraising extravaganza: Wharf4Ward. The star-studded event raised a staggering $550,000 for Sony Foundation’s charity campaign - ‘You Can’ – to build specialised youth cancer wards across Australia.

Sony Music artists including Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Mark Vincent, Stan Walker and Tim Freedman rocked the wharf and guests were also treated to a special performance from the X Factor finalists.

The event was hosted by supporters from each major network: Channel Seven’s Samantha Armytage and Andrew O’Keefe, Nine Network’s Peter Overton and Natalie Gruzlewski, and Network Ten’s Natarsha Belling and Dr Andrew Rochford. The Live Auction was hosted by a charismatic David Koch.

Other noted guests included Jodi Gordon and Braith Anasta, Ronan Keating, Melissa Doyle, Kerri-Anne Kennerley, Dennis Lillee, Nikki Phillips, Charlotte Dawson, Tom Williams, Lizzy Lovette, Danny Clayton and Steve Waugh.

Sophie Ryan, Chief Executive Officer, Sony Foundation Australia, said “ Wharf4Ward was more than just a fabulous day of food and entertainment, most importantly the 800 guests in attendance helped raise a staggering $550,000 for Sony Foundation’s ‘You Can’ campaign to help young Australians survive cancer. This money will make a measurable difference to the lives of young Australians with cancer”.

You can support the 'You Can' campaign simply by donating your old mobile phone at www.youcan.org.au

The Salvation Army and Sony Foundation Australia are working in partnership to provide long term support to the flood-devastated community of Goodna in the City of Ipswich, Queensland, with Sony Foundation donating $2 million to establish a community hub.

Sony Foundation Australia has donated the profits from Sony Music’s “FLOOD RELIEF – Artists for the Flood Appeal” CD to The Salvation Army to make a long term investment in a community devastated by the floods.

Australians rallied to the cause and propelled the Sony ‘Flood Relief’ album to number one in the charts earlier this year, generating $2 million. The organisation is donating that money to The Salvation Army Flood Appeal to establish ‘The Salvation Army and Sony Foundation Youth and Community Centre’.

The centre will be located in Goodna, a suburb of Ipswich 20 kilometres from Brisbane’s CBD. It was one of the communities in Qld hardest hit by the floods – 400 homes were lost and thousands of lives impacted.

“We hope our donation will go a long way in assisting the communities affected by the floods, particularly the young people in these areas,” said Denis Handlin AM, Chairman & CEO, Sony Music Entertainment Australia & New Zealand and President, South East Asia & Korea.

“Working with The Salvation Army we’re in there for the long term – providing support for young people affected by the floods to help get them back on track.”

The planned Youth and Community Centre will offer a range of services that staff will tailor to meet local needs. It is planned that it will be a hub of community and youth services, including a community space and a cafe. The community will have access to youth camps, community events, school holiday activities, after school education, creative courses, counselling, training, financial counselling, a No Interest Loan Scheme, Salvos Legal Service and a Building and Housing Assistance Scheme.

In thanking Sony Foundation Australia, Paul Moulds said: “We are so grateful to corporations like Sony Music and to Australians who have trusted us with the resources to respond to the huge needs that are still being faced by many Queenslanders. We will not let you down.”

Photo by Kelly Geddes

Rainbow Street Primary School in Sydney's Randwick is just one of over 1,000 Australian primary schools who have registered in Sony Foundation's You Can Schools Program. To get your school involved please visit: www.youcanschools.org.au