Hub tour inspires Youth Council

MEMBERS of the City of Ballarat Youth Council visited Ballarat East’s Barkly Square last week to celebrate the launch of the National Youth Week Art Exhibition.

Attending the show’s official opening on site, the young people between the ages of 12 and 25 also toured the community hub and met people who work or volunteer throughout the space.

Youth Council visited Sports Central, Voice FM, Ballarat Regional Multicultural Council, the Ballarat Tool Library and The YMCA before exploring the exhibition.

Mount Clear College year 11 student Rhiannon Bellingham Emms had a lot of fun, and said the afternoon was “inspirational.”

“Visiting Voice FM was really cool, and it was interesting to learn about what the volunteers do,” she said.

“One of the things the volunteers mentioned was that they need more high-school aged presenters, and I’m interested in doing that as it’s something I have never done before.

“It would be interesting to try it out, awesome to learn how everything works, and see how much I like it.”

On the tour, the youth councillors also explored the Ballarat Group Training classrooms.

Seventeen-year-old Rhiannon was particularly interested in some of BGT’s ongoing upgrades to the former secondary school building.

“The old library is apparently being renovated. At my school, I’m part of the student leadership group, so I’d like to organise a fundraiser to help them finish renovating it,” she said.

More than 100 young people, their families and friends attended the National Youth Week Art Exhibition opening last week, which The YMCA produced in partnership with Ballarat Community Health, BGT and the City of Ballarat’s Sonika committee.

The exhibition showcases the work of local young people, and can be seen at Barkly Square, 25-39 Barkly Street, from 9am to 5pm, until Friday, 30 April.