Fresh facility for headspace

THE refurbished home of youth mental health service headspace Ballarat was officially reopened last Monday afternoon.

Based on Camp Street, the old building has been given a bright, fresh look, new branding, more purpose-built office space, and private rooms.

Manager Janelle Johnson said the facility feels even more welcoming than before and has been designed to help young people aged 12 to 25 feel more comfortable when they visit.

“Rather than moving the service out of the convenient city-centre location, we’ve looked at the space we had and re-worked it to better fit the community’s needs,” she said.

“We wanted to make the space as welcoming and conducive to good mental health outcomes as we possibly could, so this renovation was a step toward that end.

“This upgrade to our service positions us to better support the young people of Ballarat now and into the future. The headspace team are excited… to continue improving the mental health outcomes of young people in the region.”

Members of headspace Ballarat’s Youth Reference Group, including Holly Ellis, were a big part of the design process, sharing their ideas about what they would like to see within the space.

“headspace Ballarat is the first place where I’ve really felt like I could contribute something meaningful to the community,” she said.

“Everything headspace does goes through us. Who knows better about youth mental health than young people going through that.

“This renovation was first discussed two years ago, and we’ve been there from the start. It’s meaningful that we get this input, and where else listens to young people to this extent?”

All of headspace Ballarat’s rooms have been named with a Wadawurrung word, and local traditional owner Barry Gilson was part of the facility’s relaunch, sharing stories about his people and the land, and conducting a smoking ceremony.