By Parker McKenzie
The Rotary Club of Ferntree Gully has received $112,665 from the Knox Empowering Communities Program to run a social inclusion program focused on youth engagement.
Alongside other Knox-based Rotary Clubs, the program will see volunteers and youth support workers provide opportunities for young people aged 12 to 18 who are isolated or disengaged to participate and connect with each other in a safe environment.
Rotary Club of Fern Tree Gully President Christine Anderson said the clubs throughout Knox run several strong youth programs, starting with primary school students all the way through to high school.
“After a long process, we’ve got this particular grant to run a 12-month pilot program starting in July this year,” she said.
“Every fortnight, we will have young people come along alongside specialised youth working running the program.”
Throughout the Knox Nocturnal Youth Group, young people will have access to hot meals, life skills workshops, sporting activities and other educational activities covering drugs to antisocial behaviour.
Mr Anderson said children are the future of society, which is why the Rotary Club decided to apply for a grant to help them.
“After Covid, I know a lot of people felt isolated but I think mental health issues like being isolated probably burdened young people a lot more,” she said.
“That’s the reason why we wanted to do something with the youth.”
The Knox Empowering Communities projects are funded by the Victorian Government’s Empowering Communities initiative as part of the Building Safer Communities Program.
Ms Anderson said the program will be evaluated at the end of the pilot period by the Department of Justice.
“If this program is successful, it has to be sustainable which is what the Rotary Club is working on,” she said.
“If we see it as a reasonable success in what we’re trying to achieve, then later in the year we will form a committee to look at funding to continue it.”
Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place also received a $20,000 grant through the Knox Empowering Communities program to focus on connecting the First Nations community within the local area at their new home of HV Jones Community Room, while running public events to help connect and increase cultural understanding.
