17x16CDP Youth Collective

Tate Walker (Wiradjuri, Bundjalung and Biripi) and Jackson Gordon (Goreng Goreng and Dunghutti) co-founded the 17x16CDP Youth Collective, a youth-led initiative supporting Aboriginal community health in Redfern and Waterloo since February 2025. Operating voluntarily and unfunded for 18 months, the program runs three nights a week. Its name combines local postcodes (2017 and 2016) with “CDP” (“chin-dip-push”), representing discipline, resilience and strength.

The initiative began after the closure of the local PCYC, growing from 16 participants to over 150 within days. It now engages around 100 young people weekly through outdoor training that builds confidence, connection and wellbeing, led and shaped by participants.

Beyond the park, the collective has reached over one million social media views and gained national recognition through ABC Indigenous. Partnerships, including JD Sports, have provided clothing and footwear, improving inclusion. The group has reclaimed Waterloo Park as a safe cultural space and successfully advocated for lighting upgrades.

Their impact extends to community leadership, including a NAIDOC basketball event and a men’s mental health campaign completing 3,307 push-ups in tribute to lives lost to suicide. In 2025, the founders received the Counterpoint Local Community Volunteer Award.