In 2018, Yumba-Meta purchased 25 Acheron Avenue, Cranbrook, with the intent to establish a community centre and facilitate an early intervention tutoring and mentoring support program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

The program launched in July 2021, targets Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 7–8 years old (Year 2 at school), with the aim to improve students’ school attendance, engagement in the classroom, literacy and numeracy skills, and overall confidence as learners. By building students’ self-esteem and a sense of pride and belonging in a classroom environment, Yumba-Meta hopes to increase the chances of these students completing high school and possibly further education.

The program is named Weeburra Thulgarri, meaning ‘one big family’.

Three State Primary schools; Rasmussen State School, Kelso State School, and Aitkenvale State School, partner with YML in the program. YML conducts two sessions per day four days a week.

Students travel to the community centre by the Yumba-Meta bus, supervised by a teacher’s aide and Yumba-Meta staff. They are served a healthy lunch before starting work. The program is centred on cultural and spiritual values, to support young children.

Yumba-Meta will work closely with Education Queensland and the Townsville Stronger Communities action group to deliver this program to more schools and students.