Youth Centre Campaign

We Need Your Help - Youth Centre for Bellingen

We might be able to have a Youth Centre in Bellingen!

Bellingen Council is looking at who will be able to use the space where the current Bellingen Library is now when it moves mid-2008.

Bellingen & Seaboard Youth Services wants to create a Youth Centre there to provide services and activities for the youth of the Bellingen and Seaboard areas.

But we have to convince Council that a Youth Centre is the best use of that space.

That’s where we need your help. We are campaigning for this new Youth Centre, but we need greater community awareness … most importantly the awareness and support of the young people of Bellingen and the Seaboard.

So all you young people aged 12 to 24 – get involved in our campaign! You can help by:

  • Getting more information on the situation by reading the overview below and talking to staff at BSYS.
  • Becoming media savvy – write letters to local newspapers, post Myspace bulletins or even write a press release (contact us about how you can do this with our help).
  • Designing posters and flyers to help inform people of the issue. Come to BSYS with your design and we could help with printing and distribution.
  • Getting a copy of our petition and get friends and family to sign it. Find out from BSYS about running a street stall or canvassing the markets to get people to sign.
  • Being informed about this issue and talk about it – with friends, family, workmates, peers and encourage them to write letters to the media or sign the petition.
  • Being passionate about a space and better services for youth in this area.

For more information or to find out how you can help campaign for a Youth Centre, please contact Anna Joy at Bellingen & Seaboard Youth Services on ph. 6655 0167, email bsys@bnc.org.au , drop into our office at the Council Grounds (behind the Neighbourhood Centre), Hyde Street Bellingen on Wed or Fri 10:00 to 4:30 or comment on our Myspace www.myspace.com/belloyouth_bsys

We have until February 2008 before Council votes on who will get the space! Get involved!

 

Youth Centre For Bellingen – Some More Info

What we asking for from Bellingen Council:

Use of the current Bellingen Library space for a Youth Centre. There is currently no Youth Centre in Bellingen and there are no other suitable spaces available in the area. This Youth Centre would be implemented with no cost to the Council.

The Space would be used to:

  • To provide a space for activities and programs organised by Bellingen Seaboard Youth Services (For example arts and craft workshops, first aid, music workshops, basic living skills and  Youth Week activities including the annual youth art exhibition)
  • To provide a hub for headspace Mid North Coast, a Commonwealth Government funded initiative to address mental health and/or drug and alcohol issues for young people. This hub will offer a range of services to young people including youth workers, GP's, drug and alcohol counsellors and psychologists
  • To offer employment, education and training providers a space in which to conduct programs and activities for young people (For example TAFE Get Skilled courses, Wesley Uniting Employment etc)
  • To provide a space for the Young Parents Network to meet and host a range of workshops for young parents and parents to be
  • To provide Bellingen and Seaboard Youth Services with a bigger office space which is much more suited to the size of its operations
  • As a meeting venue for youth groups and all youth related activities
  • As a venue for other youth focused groups and services offering an outreach service to the Bellingen area
  • To offer a small, sustainable drop in component where young people can access the space to gather with the friends and participate in non structured activities
  • By other community groups as availability allows

Why we need a Youth Centre:

  • There is currently no youth focussed space in Bellingen or Urunga.
  • Bellingen & Seaboard Youth Services current office space is too small to work with groups of young people or run activities.
  • Many services and organisations outreaching (coming from their main service in another area) to this area for youth health, employment, education, training and other services cannot do properly so due to a lack of suitable space to provide these services.
  • For a low-cost or free space for youth activities, programs and workshops to be run by BSYS and other services and youth groups.
  • Many current local youth issues such as sexual and mental health, lack of organised activities, employment and education needs, drug and alcohol issues, relationship and family issues etc could be addressed a lot better with more services and activities that could be run out of a Youth Centre.

For more detailed information on any of this or to find out how you can help campaign for a Youth Centre, please contact Anna Joy at Bellingen & Seaboard Youth Services on ph. 6655 0167, email bsys@bnc.org.au , drop into our office at the Council Grounds (behind the Neighbourhood Centre), Hyde Street Bellingen on Wed or Fri 10:00 to 4:30 or comment on our Myspace www.myspace.com/belloyouth_bsys