The Birchip Neighbourhood House has recently completed stage 2 of their LDAT (Local drug action team) project with support from young people in Birchip and Charlton.
Stage 2 was designed to be youth led and throughout the program young people were provided with opportunities to lead activities and to increase their community connections through art, culture and interactive entertainment.
The activities chosen were identified in a survey completed by over 100 adults and 100 young people from Charlton and Birchip in 2019. The survey asked participants questions around their own drug and alcohol use and the culture and attitudes towards drug and alcohol use in their local community.
The results of the survey highlighted a desire for alternative FReeZA events like “Below Zero’ which was first hosted by Charlton Youth Group in 2019 at the Esoteric Festival site.
Throughout the latter half of 2019 and the early stages of 2020 Charlton Youth Group under the leadership of Dora McGeown (President), Jack Collins (vice President), Courtney Sait and Rose McGeown (joint secretaries), Zara Jenkyn (treasurer) and Morgan Sullivan (media) have worked closely with the Buloke FReeZA team to design and host ‘Below Zero’ in 2020, but their best laid plans were halted at the last hurdle by the dreaded Covid 19 Pandemic.
The emphasis for ‘Below Zero’ was to provide Buloke young people with exposure to live artists and performers and creative sets and designs. The committee had worked closely with Sam Goldsmith, Esoteric Festival Manager to host “Below Zero’ on a new stage with an underwater theme, taking young people into the enchanted depths of the deep blue sea with enhanced interaction through inter-dimensional 3D glasses.
In the initial stages the Charlton committee had worked hard on a budget and raised funds to ensure they could host the event as it is an expensive event to facilitate because of the additional costs of the live entertainment and the transport to the festival site in the bush.
Charlton youth group members had already organised thee busses, security and first aid personnel, designed and ordered windcheaters for committee members, coordinated hiring additional equipment and fencing and ordered food, drinks and merchandise.
Charlton Youth Group members also had to make a very onerous decision on the Monday just prior to their event as although the Covid 19 restrictions were starting to be implemented, they weren’t specific enough at the time to cancel the event on the spot. It took mature leadership and complex discussion, well beyond their years to make the responsible decision to postpone the event.
Young people from Charlton Youth Group were also part of a recent mouse pad project completed by the LDAT. The process incorporated young people identifying the useful and relevant agencies who provide support and information about drugs and alcohol, youth services and mental health. This information was collated and printed onto a mouse pad designed with and distributed by young people in the Birchip and Charlton communities. This was particularly relevant for young people living through the Covid 19 pandemic restrictions.
The Charlton Youth Group have worked closely with the Buloke FReeZA team over the past twelve months to support the ADF’s work to build safe, healthy, and resilient communities for young people to thrive free from harm and it was incredibly disheartening for them that they weren’t able to host ‘Below Zero’ in 2020 but Dora has already started discussions with Simone Christie from Buloke’s ‘Music, Mates and Multiformity’ FReeZA program to host the event in 202
Stage 2 was designed to be youth led and throughout the program young people were provided with opportunities to lead activities and to increase their community connections through art, culture and interactive entertainment.
The activities chosen were identified in a survey completed by over 100 adults and 100 young people from Charlton and Birchip in 2019. The survey asked participants questions around their own drug and alcohol use and the culture and attitudes towards drug and alcohol use in their local community.
The results of the survey highlighted a desire for alternative FReeZA events like “Below Zero’ which was first hosted by Charlton Youth Group in 2019 at the Esoteric Festival site.
Throughout the latter half of 2019 and the early stages of 2020 Charlton Youth Group under the leadership of Dora McGeown (President), Jack Collins (vice President), Courtney Sait and Rose McGeown (joint secretaries), Zara Jenkyn (treasurer) and Morgan Sullivan (media) have worked closely with the Buloke FReeZA team to design and host ‘Below Zero’ in 2020, but their best laid plans were halted at the last hurdle by the dreaded Covid 19 Pandemic.
The emphasis for ‘Below Zero’ was to provide Buloke young people with exposure to live artists and performers and creative sets and designs. The committee had worked closely with Sam Goldsmith, Esoteric Festival Manager to host “Below Zero’ on a new stage with an underwater theme, taking young people into the enchanted depths of the deep blue sea with enhanced interaction through inter-dimensional 3D glasses.
In the initial stages the Charlton committee had worked hard on a budget and raised funds to ensure they could host the event as it is an expensive event to facilitate because of the additional costs of the live entertainment and the transport to the festival site in the bush.
Charlton youth group members had already organised thee busses, security and first aid personnel, designed and ordered windcheaters for committee members, coordinated hiring additional equipment and fencing and ordered food, drinks and merchandise.
Charlton Youth Group members also had to make a very onerous decision on the Monday just prior to their event as although the Covid 19 restrictions were starting to be implemented, they weren’t specific enough at the time to cancel the event on the spot. It took mature leadership and complex discussion, well beyond their years to make the responsible decision to postpone the event.
Young people from Charlton Youth Group were also part of a recent mouse pad project completed by the LDAT. The process incorporated young people identifying the useful and relevant agencies who provide support and information about drugs and alcohol, youth services and mental health. This information was collated and printed onto a mouse pad designed with and distributed by young people in the Birchip and Charlton communities. This was particularly relevant for young people living through the Covid 19 pandemic restrictions.
The Charlton Youth Group have worked closely with the Buloke FReeZA team over the past twelve months to support the ADF’s work to build safe, healthy, and resilient communities for young people to thrive free from harm and it was incredibly disheartening for them that they weren’t able to host ‘Below Zero’ in 2020 but Dora has already started discussions with Simone Christie from Buloke’s ‘Music, Mates and Multiformity’ FReeZA program to host the event in 202
