Help Warrama‑li Rebuild After Devastating Fire

On June 21st, our Warrama‑li shed, the heart of our operations, was destroyed in a fire.

We lost vital tools, equipment, vehicles, trailers, ride‑on mowers, and the storage space that supports our construction work and training programs for young Aboriginal people. Without outside help, we risk shutting down - taking away hard-won jobs, income and hope for dozens of young people.

As an Aboriginal‑led charity in Moree that was established in 2023, we create jobs and training opportunities for young Aboriginal people through hands‑on work in construction and maintenance. Our crew works on local housing, community projects, and small business jobs, building real skills and experience. This shed was crucial for keeping our work running - it housed our tools, coordinated jobs, and provided a space for our team to operate each day.

If Warrama‑li isn’t running, the Moree community is missing out on crucial housing repairs, particularly in the high-needs sector. Right now, Warrama‑li is the only group in the area providing these essential repairs. Our trainees rely on this facility to practice skills, earn an income, and to support other local businesses in the Moree community. As featured in this article, Warrama-Li keeps money in community, builds pride and proves what local youth can achieve. The destruction of the shed and equipment has disrupted not only our operations but also the income stability of the young people we serve.

“I feel good showing younger ones there are different opportunities in life.” - Stanley Smith, 26, apprentice carpenter

To continue our work, we urgently need to replace several key items. These include workshop tools, ride‑on mowers, service vehicles and trailers, safety gear, and to repair the shed itself. We are currently assessing the full cost of the damage, but we know that the replacement of these items will be critical in getting us back on track.

Total Estimated Cost: $174,950

While four of our vehicles were damaged in the fire, we are hopeful that insurance will cover the cost of replacing the other two. However, we urgently need help with replacing two of the vehicles to continue our work. These vehicles are essential to transporting tools and crew to jobs in Moree and surrounding areas, and without them, we cannot keep the essential services going for the community.

How You Can Help

We ask you to donate what you can and share this campaign with your networks. Your donation will directly replace vehicles, trailers, tools and materials so we can:

Every dollar goes to equipment, recovery costs and getting young tradies back on the tools.

In addition to financial support, we are also in urgent need of any help you can offer with:

If you or anyone you know can help with these kinds of resources or provide access to facilities, please contact Darrel Smith on 0448 526 038 or email Miyay Birray Youth Service.

Now is our chance to rally together and reignite hope for these young people and the Moree community. Thank you for stepping up to support Aboriginal youth and helping restore the essential work we do for community.

Darrel and the team at Warrama-li