PHOTO: REDI.E youth worker Jordan Keed and Case Manager Rachael Wallace are hoping to bolster their services with a helping hand from the community.
Coonamble’s local REDI.E team has put a call out to members of the community to help them expand the accessibility of the local youth centre.
Staff members say the centre currently sees anywhere between 30 to 50 local youths come through their door during the week.
Community and youth surveys have long called for more activities to constructively occupy young people after hours and on weekends.
However, Case Worker Justin Keed said their current staff of two full-time and two casual workers mean they can only do so much at the moment.
“We do have a lot of kids and not a lot of workers, so it can be quite hard sometimes to keep our eyes on everybody,” Mr Keed said.
“Myself and Rachael (Wallace) are the full-time staff, so we’re here all the time, but we need a bit of extra help from the community.
“I also think it’d be good for them to get in here and start building relationships with the kids.”
According to Ms Wallace, who is part of REDI.E’s youth and family support program here in Coonamble, to her knowledge, this is the first time the organisation has sought community volunteers to support the services at the youth centre.
She said the team would like to open the centre for longer hours and to do that, they need extra hands on deck.
“We’d like to go to maybe 7.30pm during the week, on a Friday night be able to get around 9pm and then with the possibility of doing some weekends as well,” Ms Wallace said.
“Ultimately, the more people down here the merrier and it would be great to have people here to help with our afternoon activities.”
The staff say they will appreciate whatever time people are willing to give on their weekday afternoons.
While they would be open to anyone interested in becoming a volunteer, Mr Keed said they would have to fulfil certain criteria.
“Ages are open – though I’d say they’d have to be over 18 for now – but they do have to have their Working with Children Check, Police Check, anything you have to have when you undertake a supervision role,” he said.
“But getting involved here might unlock a passion for this sort of stuff – they might start here but then you could start in other community development industries.
“There’s a real need for it and a lot of people don’t know that’s what they want to do until they actually get into it.”
“I also think supporting our kids is the greatest thing – they’re our future leaders and doing as much as we can to support them while they’re young is very rewarding,” Ms Wallace added.
There is currently an online survey for people to express their interest in helping out.
For more information REDI.E can be contacted on 0408 238721.