Exploring Christian Faith and Values
Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation Annual Report 2021
Red Frogs Australia
Overview of Year Five
The Spiritual part of our being is exactly like a battery. If we don’t regularly sit down quietly and recharge it there will be no light either inside for our heart, or outside for our personality”
Sir Vincent Fairfax, 1954
Faith played an intrinsic role in the lives of Sir Vincent and Lady Nancy, and their descendants are committed to continuing this legacy through the Foundation’s ongoing inclusion of Christianity in its funding priorities.
As a result, we continue to support organisations that create spaces for young people to gently engage with their own faith and explore making life choices informed by their understanding of Christian faith and values.
These organisations provide safe, supportive opportunities for young people to engage with faith, ask questions, build understanding, and participate in Christian communities at their own pace.
In FY26, we continued our partnership with Anglican Youthworks, approving a core funding grant for the organisation’s Ministry Support Team (MST). Funding supports the activities of the MST, including their growing accessibility ministry – making churches safe spaces where young people with neurodivergence or disability feel they belong and can use their skills and interests to actively participate.
Grants Snapshot
$850k
approved
1
grant
7%
of total funding
100%
for core funding
25%
to regional areas
Grants
2026
Anglican Youthworks – $850,000 over two years
Towards the Ministry Support Team’s core operations, including their accessibility ministry and work with new communities.
Ongoing
Alpha Australia
$305,000 distribution ($880,000 total)
To support the Alpha Youth team in the design and development of a Life Essentials course for university students as well as increasing the reach of Alpha Youth’s work supporting rural and regional young people.
Baptist Union of NSW
$271,000 distribution ($800,000 total)
Capacity building of the Baptist Youth Ministries' team and increasing their reach across NSW, particularly to rural and regional communities.
Youth Alive Australia
$285,000 distribution ($1,000,000 total)
To build fundraising capacity and increase their reach to rural and regional young people.
Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students (AFES) – $450,000 over three years
To build the capacity of AFES to engage in fellowship and grow students’ Christian knowledge and faith at university.
Red Frogs Australia $650,000 total
Core operations' support towards fundraising and volunteer management capacity to enable further growth.
Meet Lucy and Kira
Baptist Union of NSW
Baptist Youth Ministries (BYM) – part of the broader Baptist Union of NSW – exists to see healthy youth and young adult ministry in every Baptist church across NSW and ACT. They are committed to helping churches invest in the faith and leadership of young people.
VFFF’s funding supports BYM’s dedicated, regional engagement team members and the expansion of their IMPACT gap year program to enable access for more young people living in rural and regional areas.
Lucy and Kira are two young people that have benefited from this work as they explore their own faith journeys in their local communities.
Lucy has been a regular at BYM events such as State Kids Camp (SYC) and her local youth group on the Central Coast.
Lucy has recently expressed growing more confident in her faith in Jesus and sharing it with others, particularly with children. Lucy has been junior leading at State Kids Camp and at her church’s kids’ discipleship programs.
Her leaders commented what a joy it has been to see her grow in confidence and faith as she explores her God-given gifts in leadership. Lucy was elected prefect for Year 12 at her high school and will be going on to study primary teaching at university next year. She has also just taken up leading the children’s programs at her local church.
Kira is an apprentice builder in the Canberra region with a passion for helping others.
Kira has been mentored by Mandy, the regional youth ministry support worker, and has had an opportunity to grow in her faith into her young adult years.
Kira is now serving as a volunteer in the State Youth Camp team, and in her local church, alongside participating in the IMPACT Growth program in 2025 and joining IMPACT Adventure in 2026.
Recently, she started a community garden on her church’s property, growing vegetables to be shared, and is serving in the young adults ministry.
