By Mikayla van Loon
Young people and adult allies gathered to rally and march against the ceasing of funding for the Lilydale Youth Hub, with the closure of the service pending in 2023.
Organised by members of the Yarra Ranges Council Youth Advisory Group (YAG) and young people from the Hub, people came out in numbers to support the march on Saturday 10 December.
“Today, we gather outside the front of the Lilydale Youth Hub for a reason, to raise our voices for youth mental health support and to stand against this closure,” YAG member and rally organiser Candice said.
“The loss of the Lilydale Youth Hub will lead to the forced abandonment of hundreds of young people who access these services. It will lead to the loss of a vital safe space that young people have used to escape to when nowhere else has felt quite like home.”
Lilydale Youth Hub staff member Emma said if you were to fill a football oval with the number of young people, their parents, carers and friends, that’s how many people the Hub has been able to support in three years.
“The Yarra Ranges has the highest amount of youth mental health issues in the region…and we have the least services available,” she said.
As a partnering body with Cire, Anchor, Oonah and Eastern Community Legal, as well as headspace, Emma said the Hub has become an instrumental part of the region’s response to mental health support services.
“We take the pressure off of a lot of the other systems, the hospital system. We provide an early intervention and prevention service where you can walk in and get immediate help. Where else can you get that kind of support?”
The Hub is asking for just $600,000 to keep the service open until May next year when the Federal government, via commissioning funding body EMPHN, completes an evaluation of the service.
“Our program is being evaluated for five months where we’re not open and not running. How can they have an accurate evaluation when we’re not here?” Emma said.
“All we need is $600,000. That’s all we’re asking for. So many young people have benefited and this program is just crucial, young lives matter. Early Intervention matters. It works, we know this program works.”
The heart wrenching truth of the closure was quite emotional for Inspiro CEO Sue Sestan who said “we’ve done everything we can.”
“When you see people interacting, so much effort went into it, together. It’s not easy to do this stuff and it’s going to go to waste,” she said.
Holding out hope the evaluation will be positive, Sue said however, scientific evaluation doesn’t share the human impact and “all these kids are testimony. They’re the case studies.”
“We’re not going to give up on the model, the model is amazing. People may not be listening but we’ll keep advocating and at least I know this actually makes a difference.”
For YAG member and as someone who used the Hub during a difficult time in her life, Charley said “I’m honestly more than frustrated.”
“In my own experience, the Hub ensured I was able to focus back on my university studies when I’d almost given up,” she said.
Having been turned away from other support services which were already overwhelmed, Charley said the Hub took her on in October to help guide her in balancing her university and personal life.
While Charley said her struggles were low risk, there are others who use the Hub who are not in the same category and the thought of this service closing may be terrifying or triggering for them.
“There are some who, I would say, are only alive because of the Hub today.
“For me, I am 23-years-old and with the Hub closing I will survive. I won’t enjoy it but I’ll be OK.”
Urging everyone to raise their voice and encouraging people to speak with their MPs or contact government ministers, Charley said everything will help get the message across.
“All we need is someone who can fund the Hub. Even if for any reason this is within your means and you’re thinking about it, please don’t remain silent.”
Casey MP Aaron Violi attended the rally and march on Saturday and said it was a great sign of youth activism and democracy.
“It’s just really disappointing the government has refused to meet with the Youth Hub, refused to commit $600,000 to finish the evaluation,” he said.
Evelyn MP Bridget Vallence was also in attendance and said to see the turnout of people in support of this service just shows how valued it is.
“Early preventative mental health care is so vital and if we lose this hub in our community, the Yarra Ranges community will have nothing…I’ll keep fighting every step of the way,” she said.
Sue said she was “incredibly proud” of all the young people who have raised their voice and been championing the funding of the Hub for their continued benefit.
“All we did was give them a space where they felt safe, where they felt supported and where they felt heard…The initial tender was about youth voice being present in the model. Today (10 Dec), it was demonstrated,” she said.
Hub staff have found other positions within the local area to hopefully continue benefiting young people. The Hub space on Clarke Street will stand empty.
A petition has been started by YAG. To sign, go to www.change.org/p/save-the-lilydale-youth-hub
