How It All Began
It started with a small team of caring people meeting young people where they were at, in a carpark, after dark, in Davoren Park.
Chapter 1
NCOH church, a Church of Christ congregation established in Davoren Park in 2002, began attracting young people who would gather in the carpark after Sunday night services. Young people engaging in antisocial behaviours with nowhere else to go.
In response, Bekk Shaw, then a local high school chaplain, and a small group of passionate people started meeting them where they were at and building real relationship.
Chapter 2
In March 2015, NCOH Youth was formally established. The doors of the local youth centre opened on Sunday nights offering a meal, a safe space, and genuine relationship building. Volunteers came from churches across the region to serve as positive role models for young people facing significant disadvantage.
Chapter 3
Word spread. Families started connecting. A midweek drop in program launched and grew quickly, providing food, activities, and genuine friendship. Camps were run, new initiatives took off, and a community development model took shape with growing partnerships among local churches, schools, and community groups.
Chapter 4
Due to significant growth and the depth of community need identified, NCOH Youth became a program of CareWorks in 2020 and was renamed Hopestreet. The organisation took over a shopfront in Davoren Park to run youth activities and a pop up op shop, marking a major new chapter.
About CareWorks: CareWorks is responsible for the benevolent programs of the Conference of Churches of Christ in SA & NT. A not for profit organisation with the dominant purpose of the direct relief of poverty, sickness, destitution, suffering, and helplessness, for the benefit of the community.
Chapter 5
Programs quickly outgrew the shopfront. Hopestreet entered a partnership with the local council to deliver youth engagement drop ins at council facilities and began outreach at the local skatepark. The shopfront evolved into a café and op shop social enterprise, building work experience and real world skills for young people in a safe, comfortable environment.
Chapter 6
Local parents began getting involved, volunteering, and taking on leadership in the space. The shopfront became the Hopestreet Community Hub, a recognised place of connection and belonging for families across the Playford area. Kids Club and Families of Hope, a parent group led by local parents, followed. Hopestreet was now reaching 220+ young people every week.
Chapter 7
In April 2025, Hopestreet launched its After Hours Youth Drop In as a pilot program, filling a critical gap in evening support for young people across Playford. Running Thursdays 5–9pm and Fridays and Saturdays 3–9pm, it gave young people a consistent, safe place to land during the hours they needed it most.
The pilot quickly proved its value. Over the course of the year, 663 individuals attended the Youth Hub, confirming the need for a permanent after hours presence in the area.
Chapter 8
In February 2026, the Community Hub was rebranded as Hopestreet Social, reflecting a sharpened focus on youth skills training, employment pathways, and social enterprise. The café and op shop became the centrepiece of a structured program designed to equip young people with practical skills, confidence, and a clear pathway into the workforce.
The rebrand marks Hopestreet's most intentional step yet toward creating lasting economic change for the young people of Playford. Not just a place to belong, but a place to grow.
Hopestreet Today
Our community faces real challenges. Davoren Park and surrounding suburbs have a youth unemployment rate of 61%, eight times the Adelaide average. Two thirds of young people in our area don't complete Year 12.
Despite this, we focus relentlessly on building resilience and hope. Predominantly volunteer run, with 40+ people giving their time to keep everything going. When you meet a Hopestreet volunteer, you'll know exactly how much this community means to them.