About Us – New 2

SU Australia works alongside churches and communities to give children, young people and their families opportunities to discover life in God’s big story.

This means that children and young people are always at the heart, driving everything we do.

In a world of pain, suffering and complexity we know there is another story – a story of hope.

A story where young people are invited to be part of something bigger than themselves – to find purpose and connection.

We exist to see every child and young person given the opportunity to experience this story.

We have over 9,000 volunteers reaching out across the country, serving in schools, camps, beach and community-based missions, and more. This includes Chaplaincy Support Teams and Religious Education in Schools (REIS) Boards, who assist our school workers. All SU Australia volunteers are specifically trained in child safety.

In addition, our wider supporter base provides financial, prayer, and practical support to sustain and underpin our ministries long-term.

SU Australia has an active presence across each state and territory, with ministries focused at a regional level. Each region has field staff that are responsible for coordinating local ministry, volunteers, church, and community partnerships and overseeing the work of more than 800 chaplains, REIS workers and interns. Our eight metropolitan offices support the delivery of SU Australia’s ministries on the ground. To find out more about our ministries near you click on the map (left).

In addition to our field personnel, we have a network of national staff that are involved in a variety of strategic ministries across the country and underpin our core ministries. This includes our key support services, our Equip teams, and RTO training arm, the SU Institute of Training (SUIT).

Our Board and Executive provide strategic leadership, oversight and direction.

SU Australia works alongside local churches of all Christian denominations and like-minded community organisations and individuals to create opportunities for children, young people and their families to discover life.

We are a member of the worldwide Scripture Union International community, which has a presence in over 120 countries globally.

ChildSafe Australia, a subsidiary of SU Australia, empowers individuals and organisations to keep children and vulnerable people safe.

Scripture Union’s story began over 150 years ago, when Josiah Spiers brought the Bible to life as he shared ‘God’s big story’ with 15 children in London. In SU’s early years, Josiah wrote ‘God is love’ on the sand of a Welsh beach during the summer school holidays of 1868 and invited the children playing on the beach to decorate it with seashells.

Since then, SU has been inviting children, young people and their families to discover life in God’s big and unfolding story in more than 120 nations around the world. In Australia, for over 140 years, SU movements have been helping countless young people discover belonging, hope and purpose in a story bigger than themselves.

Coming together in 2021 across different states and territories, along with Generate (NSW), we are now a united, national movement, one body with many local expressions – because our heart is to meet local needs.

ChildSafe Australia exists to serve organisations and individuals working with children and vulnerable people, with the goal of improving their well-being and safety.

As part of the SU Australia family, ChildSafe works to…

• Listen to the child safety needs of organisations
• Support organisations in their policy and practice
• Help organisations with their compliance of the National and State Child Safety Standards
• Delivering quality ChildSafe materials and services