Bridgetown council to start trial partnership with Blackwood Youth Action for mainstream youth activities

The Bridgetown-Greenbushes shire and a local not-for-profit are partnering up to run a trial term program and school holiday program of activities for local youth. Dubbed “wonderful” by the shire, the partnership with Blackwood Youth Action was approved by councillors at the April meeting. The shire has committed $3300 from their Youth Activities and Support account to BYA — a community group working towards improving the wellbeing of young people in the Blackwood region and providing equal opportunities to marginalised youth — to help with costs. The program — which will be run out of BYA Youth House — will include one two-hour session per week for ten weeks of the school term, as well as two five-hour school holiday sessions a week during the upcoming July school holidays. It was proposed in reaction to an increase in demand for activities for young people in town, raised by the local community and youth service providers. Councillor Tracy Lansdell said the partnership was a “wonderful” way for the shire to contribute to the work BYA continues to do. “When BYA reached out to the Shire to see if they would help them fund activities for mainstream youth at the Youth House, there was unanimous support at the April council meeting for this to occur,” she said. “There’s an increasing demand by mainstream young people to have access to the opportunities at the Youth House and the shire funds will help BYA to provide those opportunities.” BYA Chairperson Sarah Youngson said the partnership was a great opportunity for both parties. “We are happy to be partnering with the council, especially with providing activities for the mainstream youth,” she said.