from YAPRap March 2005
by Serena Kent, Youth Support Officer, Greater Hume & Lockhart Shire Councils
I have been involved in youth projects in the area since 2001. When I joined the Culcairn* Shire Youth Council I also became a member of the Culcairn/Holbrook Youth action team who are also known as a community drug action team.
Following, in the next four years, the youth council put on various events such as discos, movie nights and battle of the bands. We became involved with other community organizations including Lions Club, Rotary and most importantly started to work more closely with the former Culcairn Shire Council. This enabled us to learn more about government departments and come under council's insurance and public liability scheme.
In this time I became involved in the Culcairn community development committee, Culcairn State Emergency Service, Culcairn Swimming Pool Committee, Culcairn community drug action team committee.
In 2003 I finished my HSC and made the decision to move to Sydney to further my education. This meant leaving the Culcairn youth council unfortunately the youth council ceased.
In 2003 a small group, the Culcairn/Holbrook Youth action team, decided with the help of the New South Wales Premier's Department to apply for $100,000 funding for a youth worker. This was decided to be a position employed by the Culcairn, Holbrook and Lockhart Shire Councils.
The funding application was approved and in November 2004 a youth development officer and a youth support worker commenced work for both the newly formed Greater Hume Shire Council (incorporating the former Holbrook, Culcairn and Hume shire councils) and Lockhart Shire Council.
I commenced working as youth support officer in November, proving that starting out as a young volunteer can do a lot more than you expect for your life.
At the end of my second week of work I travelled to Bateman's Bay and participated in the YAPA rural issues forum.
Working as a volunteer for such a long time and this leading into a position of employment, at the age of 18 with the only formal qualification I have being a statement of attainment in community services welfare work, my practical experience as a volunteer is what I most rely on. This year I am undertaking a TAFE course in Youth Work Certificate III at Albury TAFE.
Working in a rural community is very different to working in a regional or metropolitan location.
The issues and the people are very different and as a local I would find it easier than someone coming from another town or city especially not from a rural area.
There are plenty of good points about growing up and now working in a rural community. Already knowing every single person I walk past when I go down the street helps when I want to learn what the community would like to see implemented and it's great for advertising and spreading the word about the events and programs we are thinking about.
There are some definite no nos involved in rural communities, such as changing the town's outdated heritage for being home of a murderous bush ranger.
The lovely senior citizens of the town bring us fresh fruit and vegetables from their gardens and make us cakes for our street stalls. I don't really know if these things don't happen in the bigger cities, but the attitudes are very different than people in rural communities.
I now have the privilege of working with three youth councils and would be looking too create more from within my two shires.
Youth Councils are very successful in my experience, if you give young people a chance and an opportunity to speak freely and a little encouragement with some food, the outcomes can be amazing.
Local governments are not the only organizations that can benefit from having a youth council. Some groups are known by other names such as CSYC (Culcairn) and Infusion (Albury). They are also known as youth council voice or youth advisory boards. Other groups that could benefit include community health centres, Lions Club, Rotary Clubs and also some large business such as Coles Myer who could create a better team environment by implementing outside work activities for there young workers especially those who no longer attend any educational institutions.
more information
skent@culcairn.nsw.gov.au
02 6029 8588
*For those of you who never leave the coast, Culcairn is between Wagga and Albury in southern NSW.
