Lofty new space secured for youth

THE Y Ballarat’s youth team now have a dedicated space just upstairs from the organisation’s Barkly Square base.

Launched recently, the space called is The Loft and has been developed in collaboration with the Y’s youth team members with the aim of offering a more accommodating area for younger people.

“It’s our own space which we’ve never really had before,” said Y Ballarat youth worker Delana Wright. “We’ve always been down in the corporate office.

“Having our own office which is very unique to us in that more casual and informal setting and more our vibe as youth workers will make things more approachable for young people.”

The Loft will not function as a youth hub, but instead be used as a collaborative space between the Y’s youth team, and the youth action and advisory group, which has about half a dozen members.

As well as being used for administrative work, the space can also host meetings and small events.

From The Loft, the Y’s youth team will continue to deliver programs like Jump Start, Things No One Told You, and ReCranked in Schools.

Ms Wright said the new space will complement well with the Y’s established youth hub at Wendouree’s The Grove.

“We’ll be able to bring more young people in through this space to go over to The Grove so it’s a nice comparison to that,” she said.

“It’s about having a much more youth-friendly space and having more people being able to approach us. They can turned around a bit in our corporate office.

“I think the space will become more colourful as it continues and encouraging our young people to tell us what they want the space to look.”