Bryan Duke began working in the homelessness sector in the mid 1990’s, running a soup kitchen in the old Griffin Centre, and in the youth sector in 2001. He currently runs the Take Hold program with Ted Noffs foundation, which he established in Canberra in 2012.
Bryan builds a strong rapport with young people and never gives up on trying to support them, and connecting them with the most suitable services, workers and mentors available. He has a relaxed attitude and is real with the young people, which allows him to build a strong connection quickly. Bryan shows commitment to his clients and will often be approached from former clients about how their lives have changed, and the positive influence he has had on their lives.
Bryan not only engages with and supports young people, he also contributes significantly to the youth and homelessness sectors both formally and informally. He regularly attends meetings such as Joint Pathways, Youth Housing and Homeless Forum, and was part of the steering group to set up the Youth Worker Practice Network. Bryan regularly attends training to keep up to date with the latest knowledge and information, and uses his wisdom and experience to enhance the learning of other participants.
Bryan takes the time to get to know new workers in the sector, and gather information about the different services available, in turn improving his endless knowledge of the sector and his amazing talent for networking. Bryan is reliable and trustworthy in his approach to his work. He is well known in the sector, and has a reputation for caring for young people and youth workers, and always has a smile and friendly work for them. This is balanced by being unafraid to speak up and use his knowledge and experience to make sure that the focus of decisions are working in the best interests of young people.
