In August, a new youth services hub ‘EDGE – Services for Young People’, was officially opened at a shopping centre in one of the City’s major growth areas.
Located at the new Westfield Plenty Valley, the space was provided by Westfield and fitted out by Council with the help of a $250,000 Federal Government grant.
Whittlesea Mayor, Councillor Elizabeth Nealy, said Council’s commitment to young people is a vital investment in the future of the City.
“As such, Council provided over $700,000 for the development of this facility,” she said. “Consultation during its development involved young people working with architects and designers and included naming of the space.”
Council’s Youth Services Team Leader, Vicki Cooper, said EDGE not only represents the centre’s location on the edge of the shopping centre, but the kind of feeling young people wanted around the building.
“They wanted it to be on the cutting edge, new and fresh,” she said.
EDGE currently houses Council’s Youth Services team, and over the next 12 months a number of other services for young people will be established there. These include Kildonan Uniting Care, Whittlesea Community Connections and Headspace.
A medical consulting room and interview rooms are also available to facilitate the delivery of services for young people.
Vicki Cooper said EDGE will operate as a hub for young people to become involved in the evolution of relevant programs and services.
“It will evolve as a space for young people to participate in civic engagement actions, skills training, personal development programs and recreation, art and cultural activities,” she said.
“The hub will offer support and resources for parents of young people and members of the community. Specialty spaces will be available and will include multimedia facilities, a training space and internet access.”
