Impact

Introducing Martin Youth Foundation

After 36 years, Sir David Martin Foundation has evolved to become Martin Youth Foundation.

Sir David Martin was a champion of young people. As the 34th Governor of New South Wales, he saw their struggles firsthand, but he never stopped believing in their potential. In the days before his passing, he articulated a vision for the future in which all young people in crisis could access safety, hope and opportunity. For more than three decades, that vision has been Sir David Martin Foundation’s guiding light. Built on Sir David’s compassion and brought to life by his remarkable family, the Foundation has helped connect thousands of young people to youthfocused, evidence-based treatment for drug and alcohol dependence. But the world is changing, and now, the Foundation is changing with it. After a careful and considered process that has been supported, shaped and endorsed by the Martin family and our Board, we have a new name. We are now Martin Youth Foundation.

Sir David’s handwriting was analysed from this letter he wrote to Queen Elizabeth II. Developing the logo with Sir David’s handwriting.

A new era, anchored by the past

Our new name maintains the legacy of the Martin family name while centring the young people we exist to support. This is not a departure from our past. Instead, it is a natural evolution that reflects who we are today: a family endeavour, guided by Sir David’s values, ready to meet the challenges ahead.

Upholding the Martin family name

Sir David was the Foundation’s inspiration, but it has been the tireless efforts of his widow, Lady Martin and children, Will Martin, Anna Beaumont and Sandy Di Pietro, that have kept his vision alive. Lady Martin co-founded the Foundation and led it for many years; today, she remains deeply connected to our mission. Will serves as our Board Chair, Anna worked for the Foundation for many years and is now a Board member and Sandy often serves as a foundation representative. Together, they continue to amplify Sir David’s mission. Our new name recognises these contributions and places the whole family at the heart of our identity and the helm of our future work. Sir David’s own handwriting sits inside our new logo; his vision continues to shape everything we do. His remarkable legacy remains an integral part of our story.

The Martin family: Sandy, Susie, Anna and Will, with Sir David’s portrait at Government House.

“Seeing Dad’s handwriting in our new logo means everything,” says Anna Beaumont, Board member and Sir David’s daughter. “It’s a small thing, but it means he’s still part of every conversation we have about where we’re headed.

“Being on the working group for this process from the beginning, I had the benefit of seeing the sensitivity and thought that was applied at every stage. This was really a very considered undertaking, with the full backing of myself, Mum and Will and Sandy as well. I’m so pleased with how we came to this result and, as Mum said, ‘it’s what the old man would have wanted’ – to ensure we did everything we could to keep this Foundation alive for the next generation.”

Keeping the focus on young people

Including the word ‘youth’ in our new name makes our focus unmistakably clear: it tells every young person, every parent, every donor and every partner exactly who we are here to serve. It also shines a light on what makes us unique: funding best practice, holistic youth-specific programs that ensure young people don’t fall through the gaps.

Anna, who spent many years working at the Foundation before joining the Board, puts it simply: “It increases our reach by speaking clearly about who we are, what we can do and who we can help. This means more young people and families can find helpful resources and information when they need it most. It means new and prospective donors can immediately understand why this work matters. It means greater recognition, stronger partnerships and more resources being directed to life-changing programs that have youth wellbeing at their core.”

Retaining ‘Foundation’

Amid these shifts, we chose to keep an important distinction: Foundation. It captures our core role in funding and supporting the work of our service partners and reflects the longstanding and trusting relationship we have built with our incredible donor community who have stood alongside us for all these years.

Our name has changed. Our purpose has not.

We may have a new name, but what hasn’t changed is our focus on empowering young people to change their lives. As Martin Youth Foundation, we will continue to act in service of young people experiencing substance dependence, funding the safe, youth-focused programs that can help them rewrite their stories.

We will continue speaking up for young people in crisis, replacing fear and judgement about youth addiction with the compassion that allows young people to reach out for help. We will continue our efforts to build a stronger youth alcohol and other drugs sector, working at the forefront of youth addiction treatment and collaborating with communities, donors, service providers and sector partners to connect the whole journey of recovery.

Finally, we will continue being accountable to, and earning the trust of, our donors, whose investment in the Foundation is the gift that changes lives. To all of you who give in service of the Foundation’s mission, thank you for helping us fund what matters. With your ongoing support, we can continue honouring what Sir David built by making sure it is here, and growing, for the next 36 years – and beyond.

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From the Chair

Will Martin, Board Chair, Martin Youth Foundation

1990 seems a long time ago but it was in that year that my father, Sir David Martin, set this Foundation in motion with a simple belief: every young Australian deserves safety, hope and opportunity. That belief has never wavered. For three decades, the one consistent factor was my mother, Susie, who carried Dad’s vision forward. More recently my sisters, Anna and Sandy, and I have continued the work, alongside donors, Board members and hard-working team members, who have never stopped believing in it either.

This year, we took a significant step. After lengthy and careful thought, and with the support of our family and Board, on 1 September 2026, we became Martin Youth Foundation.

It wasn’t a decision we made lightly, nor one that moves us from our origins or purpose. Wonderfully, Dad’s handwriting, his fingerprints if you like, sit at the heart of our new logo, a quiet reminder his spirit shapes everything we do. What has changed is a name. What hasn’t is our purpose: to stand beside young people in crisis, and fund programs that give them a genuine chance of recovery.

If this is the first time you’re hearing of our name change, I’m glad it’s from me directly. If this raises any questions, we’d love to hear from you at [email protected].

To every one of you who has supported this work: thank you. You’ve helped write 36 years of this story, and I look forward to you continuing this voyage with us into a bright and positive new chapter.

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Thank you to those who backed our new chapter

This year we stepped into a new name and a new look. We want to say a heartfelt thank you to those who helped make it possible.

Behind our rebrand sits months of work from partners who gave their time and expertise at no cost or low cost. Most importantly, their support meant we could undertake this transformation without significant cost to the Foundation, keeping our focus and resources firmly on the young people we exist to serve.

Lippincott generously came on as a pro-bono partner and brought our new brand to life, translating our purpose into a visual identity that reflects who we are and where we’re going. Mallesons, our incredible long-term pro-bono partner, provided the legal expertise behind the scenes, working through the details so the rebrand could happen legally and compliantly.

We also thank our suppliers who provided generously reduced rates to help bring our new look to life. RealClicks, a Sydney based digital agency, built our new website: a home for our donor community to discover our story, and for young people and families to find help when they need it most. Martine Payne Photography and the Royalle Modelling Agency together helped deliver a full brand photoshoot, capturing images that will express our fresh identity for years to come.

We are so grateful to each of these suppliers for choosing to back our work and the young people we exist to support. It’s the kind of generosity that sits behind the scenes, but it’s made a real difference to what we can now do.

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He started to believe he deserved a future

Brett* was already experimenting with drugs when a family tragedy turned his world upside down.

“The trauma completely corrupted the way I saw the world. It filled me with anger, fear and pain that I didn’t know how to deal with,” he says. His drug use escalated sharply; soon, he was using heroin and ice every day. He slipped into the cycle that many young people with drug dependence find themselves in: substance use, crime, detention, self-destruction. He was only 15 years old. Without a network to lean on, Brett had nowhere left to turn. Triple Care Farm was the only light on a dark road. “Coming into Triple Care Farm was a massive turning point in my life,” he says. “It gave me the chance to stop the cycle and actually learn how to live again.”

“I started believing … change was actually possible.”

Like many young people entering treatment, Brett had no idea what to expect when he first entered Triple Care Farm. But his anxiety was quickly replaced by hope. The environment was calm and structured; within it, he started learning the skills and routines that would help him rebuild his life.

At every step, he was supported by a compassionate team of people who genuinely cared about his recovery. The staff didn’t see him the way he saw himself. Instead, they saw his potential, and they believed in it.

Some of the staff who supported him had walked the same path of substance dependence and recovery. For the first time, Brett could see a steady future he could actually believe in.

“When someone can sit across from you and say, ‘I’ve been where you are. I know what this feels like, but you can get out of it,’ that changes something in you,” he says.

“For the first time in my life, I started believing maybe change was actually possible for me too.”

After treatment, Brett moved back into his community with an aftercare worker beside him. Aftercare is a six-month structured program that helps young people carry their recovery into the rest of their lives. An aftercare worker connects with a young person before they leave residential care to set personalised recovery goals and provide support in the first six-months after they return to their community.

Today, Brett has an apartment, a car and works as a personal trainer, and has bigger plans still.

“I’m studying my Cert IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs so that one day I can work in rehab and help people the same way people helped me,” he says. “Because programs like Triple Care Farm don’t just help people get sober. They help people believe that they deserve a future.”

Remarkable stories like Brett’s happen because generous people like you care about fair opportunities for our youth. If you’re able to, your gift today can help make sure the next young person finds that same kind of support.

*Name changed and stock imagery used for privacy

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A legacy, continued: Colin’s tribute to Sir David Martin

Sir David Martin outside Parliament House during his official swearing in-ceremony as the 34th Governor of NSW.

As Sir David Martin’s Aide-de-Camp, Colin Bold witnessed the former Governor’s dedication to providing safety, hope and opportunity to young people in need. More than 30 years later, Colin continues to uphold Sir David’s mission with a remarkable gift of his own.

Sir David Martin was known and loved by many, but few worked as closely with him as his former Aide-de-Camp, Colin Bold.

Colin was at Sir David’s side throughout his time as the 34th Governor of New South Wales. What began as a working relationship became an enduring connection that spanned the final year of Sir David’s life, and has continued shaping Colin’s ever since.

Colin’s lasting memory of Sir David is of his uncanny ability to uplift those around him.

“He had this incredible way of connecting with people. He would bring the best out of you,” Colin says.

Whether he was speaking to official guests at a Government House event, listening to volunteers talk about their charity work, or meeting with school children, disability groups or First Nations communities, Sir David possessed an unwavering interest in people and their life stories.

He also treated everyone with humanity and respect; nobody was above or beneath him. At one formal event, Colin recalls Sir David at a

Government House party, he patiently held an ice cream, even as it began to melt and drip down his hand, for a child who asked him to keep it safe for them.

“That’s the sort of person he was,” Colin says.

A vision becomes a reality

This affinity with children and young people would become the foundation of Sir David’s legacy. It was during an official visit to a Sydney men’s shelter that he had one of the most consequential encounters with a young person. Both Sir David and Colin had been under the impression that the shelter was for older men. But during the visit, Sir David met a young man who was struggling with substance use. He was estranged from his family and had nowhere else to go.

Sir David was deeply affected by the young man’s story and by the realisation that there were no services available to support young people like him. Instead, he was living alongside older men, many of whom had experienced a lifetime of hardships.

“I think seeing someone that age [in that situation, Sir David realised] that there must be a place to help young people before they got to that point,” Colin says.

It was at that moment that Sir David first started conceptualising the idea of how better to support young people. His belief in young people’s potential crystallised into a tangible goal of providing safety, hope and opportunity for all young people in crisis.

Originally founded in partnership with Sydney City Mission (now known as Mission Australia), Sir David Martin Foundation was established to support young people living on the streets. Over time, it evolved to become a dedicated funder of youthspecific drug and alcohol treatment programs.

To date, the Foundation has connected thousands of young people to treatment programs that have helped them rewrite their stories.

But the work is far from done. Demand for youth-specific drug and alcohol treatment programs is rising: a 2020 report from Martin Youth Foundation revealed widespread unmet need for youth-focused substance treatment programs across Australia. Too many young people are still struggling to find support that can help them start working towards lasting recovery.

That’s why Colin has made a very special decision. Like Sir David himself, who was committed to leaving the world better than he found it, Colin is creating a legacy of his own by leaving a gift in his Will to Martin Youth Foundation.

Having watched the Foundation’s evolution over more than three decades, Colin has come to share Sir David’s belief in the importance of supporting young people to achieve their potential.

“We have a responsibility to help and guide young people. If we believe in a fair society, if we want our society to grow and flourish, we can only do that through protecting and caring for youth,” he says.

“Everyone should think about leaving a legacy, and one way to do that is through a Will. It’s never been more important to give back.”

Sir David and Lady Martin (pictured centre front) hosting the Government House staff Christmas party in 1989.

For Colin, giving a legacy gift to Martin Youth Foundation is an investment in the next generation, but it’s also a final thank you to Sir David, whose humour, generosity and humility continue to inspire him today.

“He taught me that great leadership comes from humility; from believing in a higher purpose, and always being authentic, true to yourself and those around you,” Colin says.

“It’s the least I can do to thank him for what he’s given me.”

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Building the skills that bring lasting recovery

Sachin, an aftercare worker based at Mission Australia’s Drug and Alcohol Youth Service (DAYS) in Perth

When a young person leaves residential treatment, their challenges don’t simply disappear. Recovery continues as they find a place to live, reconnect with family, manage their mental health, find work or study, and build a life that feels stable and meaningful.

Thanks to your support, we fund Youth Network, a team of specialist aftercare workers, through our longstanding service partner Mission Australia. These aftercare workers are there to walk alongside young people as they navigate the critical six-month period after leaving residential care.

Mission Australia’s commitment to training their team means we can be confident the aftercare workers we fund are equipped to provide best-practice support. That’s why ongoing staff development and shared learning is integral to the success of the aftercare program. The needs of young people are complex and constantly changing, and the team is committed to making sure their skills evolve to meet them.

One of the most valuable areas of training has been trauma-informed practice. This helps workers understand how trauma can shape behaviour, relationships and decision making. Instead of focusing on what a young person is doing, it shifts the focus to what might have happened to them and how best to respond with care and understanding.

As Ebony, an aftercare worker at Mission Australia’s Triple Care Farm Walawaani in Batemans Bay, NSW shares, “Understanding trauma and how it shows up in behaviour has been really important. It helps make sense of what we’re seeing and reminds us to stay curious rather than reactive.”

Housing is another major barrier for young people leaving treatment. To respond to this, aftercare workers have completed training in Housing First principles and housing systems. Housing First is an evidence-based approach that prioritises getting people into safe, stable housing as quickly as possible, then building support around them once they are housed. This helps workers better navigate housing services, understand eligibility requirements and advocate for young people when options are limited.

Supporting young people through crisis and recovery also requires specialist skills. For example, through training delivered by the Mental Health Commission of Western Australia (MHC), aftercare workers in Perth have strengthened their knowledge in relapse prevention, suicide prevention and Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI), a trauma-informed approach to preventing and safely responding to crisis.

As Sachin, an aftercare worker based at Mission Australia’s Drug and Alcohol Youth Service (DAYS) in Perth, WA explains, “The Mental Health Commission training, particularly Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, has been one of the most valuable learning opportunities for me. As DAYS, Mission Australia implements TCI as its therapeutic model, it’s helping us build a more consistent and therapeutic way of supporting young people through crisis while keeping relationships at the centre of our work.”

Every training and learning experience strengthens the team’s ability to respond with confidence, care and consistency.

By partnering with Mission Australia, we fund the Youth Network team of aftercare workers, while Mission Australia invests in their staff’s development and capability, to ensure that young people get access to the best care possible. Together, this means young people don’t have to navigate their recovery alone.

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