Mayoral Youth Awards: Shire’s young people are golden!

FORTY young people from across Golden Plains Shire have been honoured though the 2019-2020 Mayoral Youth Awards for their contributions towards making the community a better place.

Hosted in an online video meeting last week, the awards acknowledge efforts as diverse as volunteering with the CFA, designing new skate and BMX facilities, and helping to create a huge work of art.

“A lot of these kids are doing this year in and year out and what these awards do is appreciate that they are volunteering and helping,” said mayor Cr Owen Sharkey.

“Some of these kids are doing these things without knowing that’s what they are doing, so to stop and acknowledge that is fantastic.”

Twelve-year-old Harley Murfitt from Meredith was one of those to receive a gong.

As a keen freestyle bmxer he was acutely aware that the town’s small skatepark, which is made up of second-hand and painted steel ramps on a slippery concrete slab, was not much chop.

Rather than complain, Harley, along with his friends, including fellow award recipient Max Love, decided to do something about it.

With the help and backing of his principal at Meredith Primary School, Stephen Trotter, and the local police officer Craig Malthouse, Harley and Max designed an updated skate facility and matching bike trails.

“Our skatepark now is all wrecked, there’s bits of metal hanging everywhere,” Harley said. “We’d like a concrete one and a BMX track that will connect to the skatepark so it’s safer for all kids and caters for all kids.”

A frequent user of the skatepark until COVID restrictions shut off access again, Harley said he hoped his award would shine a light on the proposed upgrades and get some further action on the issue.

“I think it will help,” he said. “Now my name has got out there and Owen Sharkey and other people in the council have seen it.

“There’s also my friend, Max Love, he got an award and helped too. We’re both trying to get this for the whole community.”

Across in Shelford, 18-year-old Chris Meyer was recognised for his long-time involvement with the town’s CFA brigade.

Following in the footsteps of him mum and sister he started as a junior when he was 11, and in 2018 joined the ranks as a firefighter.

Since then the year 12 student at North Geelong Secondary College has been there to help people and the community when things are at the most challenging.

“It’s been fun, I’ve enjoyed most of it,” he said. “There are times when you’re not fighting fires, like dealing with rescues and they’re not that great, but most of the time it’s heaps of fun.

“It may not look it when it’s on TV, but you’re giving back to the community. I love doing it.”

Why Mr Meyer clearly volunteers out of a desire to help his town, the Shire and the State. The acknowledgment through the Mayoral Youth Awards program was just a bit of extra inspiration.

“It’s good,” he said. “I’m not saying I need that motivation, because I have enough already, but it definitely does give me more to get out and do more stuff.”

While some award recipients got their nod for activities off their own back, others, like Teegan Crawford and Samantha Watkins, were included though their work with the Shire’s youth team.

Teegan, from Sutherlands Creek, from was part of a group of young people who came together to create large piece of art inside the Bannockburn Cultural Centre.

“We did some sketches and talked about what we wanted to put into the mural, as well as the painting,” she said. “I had the idea to add some native animals. I’m not very artsy, so someone else painted them.

“It was really nice. It was fun to talk to new people and listen to everyone’s ideas.”

For 15-year-old Teegan, the experience of working collaboratively with her peers in a youth setting have inspired her to bigger things.

“Since I’ve started with the youth group for my future job, I want to be a youth worker,” she said. “I love to volunteer and be a part of the community.”

Also in Bannockburn, 18-year-old Ms Watkins is also involved with the Shire’s youth service team and that lead to her involvement in helping to organise last year’s Skate Park Comp.

While she’s not a skater, bmxer or scooter kid, Ms Watkins said she wanted to take part because that’s the kind of person she is.

“I’m that type of person who likes to be involved in helping,” she said. “I was really interested in seeing what it was about and just being there and having some fun. We all came together and organised the event.

“I sort of organised the security, the first aid, we all had set roles.”

The Mayoral Youth Awards come after significant input by Bannockburn’s young people on the town’s growth plan, and by youth from across the Shire into the municipality’s sport and recreation policy.

Cr Sharkey said the involvement was key for many reasons.

“It’s good to have them shape a bit of what the future is because they are the ones who will be appreciating it more than anyone,” he said.

“When you start speaking with teachers and others you find how much it means to the kids to be involved.”

To be considered for Mayoral Youth Award nominees had to be between the ages of 12 and 18 at the time of the activity they were being recognised for and have completed it within six months of being nominated.

They also must live in the Shire, not have been paid for the activity and show a range of positive and safe community impacts.

All award winners received a $50 Officeworks voucher and a framed certificate.

The full list of recipients in the 2019-2020 Golden Plains Shire Mayoral Youth Awards: Bannockburn – Samantha Watkins, Novella Rollins, Harry Brown, Molly Weiler, Riley Box-Tweedy, Camdyn Gregory, Jackson Lander-Mitchell, Zac McKiernan, Noah Hutchison, Alisha Nurnaitis and Jayden Stewart. Batesford – William Bradley, Eibhlinn Sharkey and Emily Bradley. Garibaldi – Angus Kasbach. Inverleigh – Bridie Orr and Gus Edwards. Lethbridge – Mason Corbett, Charlie Thompson and Michael Jales. Mannibadar – Matthew Hooper and Joshua Hooper. Maude – Rachel Kaiser. Meredith – Alex Loveday, Ethan Vorkauf, Harley Murfitt, Max Love and Kynan Munday. Piggoreet – Luke Getsom, Rokewood – Nevada Childe. Ross Creek – Darby Mayfield. Russells Bridge – Daisy French. Shelford – Chris Meyer and Zoe King. Smythes Creek – Zac Aberdein. Smythesdale – Talia Jonas. Sutherlands Creek – Teegan Crawford and Hayley Crawford. Teesdale – Andrea Wellington and Louise Van Baar.