Youth Recognition Program

youth recognition web tile

Golden Plains Shire Council's Youth Recognition Program recognises and celebrates the achievements of young people aged 12 to 25 across Golden Plains Shire.

Delivered though the Victorian Government's Engage! funding initiative, the Youth Recognition Program aims to recognise the achievements and contributions of young people in our community and celebrate their accomplishments.

As part of the program, community members are invited to highlight local young people aged 12 to 25 and their achievements.

Each month, a young person will be celebrated on the Council’s website and social media channels as Young Person of the Month.

For more information, contact Council's Youth Development Team on 5220 7111 or email [email protected].

Community members can nominate a young person by completing the submission form below. 

Young Person of the Month
March

Lachy

Congratulations to the March Young Person of the Month… Lachlan Robinson!

Lachlan stands out as a shining example of a young person, acknowledged by his peers and colleagues alike who wish to celebrate his passion and commitment to his work and community. 

After finishing year 12 in 2022, Lachlan was one of 3 successful candidates securing a traineeship facilitated by the Brotherhood of St Laurence at Golden Plains Shire Council. Throughout this role, he traversed across various departments of Council, working towards his Certificate III in Business Administration, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the organisation’s inner workings.

During Lachlan’s rotation in the Youth Development Team, it became evident that he has a natural flair for youth engagement, quickly becoming a favourite face at the Golden Plains Youth Hub by both staff and young people alike. Lachlan’s ability to connect and support young people through thoughtful discussion and patient instruction was a skill he never knew he had, making him a highly valued team member.

Lachlan has said that through his traineeship journey, he was able to learn many new things he never thought he would and do things he never thought he could. 

Lachlan is currently very busy extending his learning by studying Information technology and entertaining his menagerie of 2 dogs, chickens, and a gaggle of geese.

Congratulations Lachlan!

December

Harley Murfitt

Congratulations to the December Young Person of the Month...Harley Murfitt!

Harley is no stranger to recognition, starting his work advocating for his hometown of Meredith as a year six student in 2020 when he saw a need in his community to provide more recreational facilities for young people.  

Harley remains humble despite appearing on three major television networks when Council was successful in securing funding for the recently completed Meredith Skate Park and Pump Track. 

Now in year nine at St Joseph’s College in Geelong, Harley describes his hometown of Meredith as “a great place filled with nice people and friendly locals.” Not one to sit idle, when Harley is not giving the pump track a workout, you can find him mowing lawns through his very own lawn mowing business! 

Volunteering for Steam Rail Victoria, Harley stokes the fires of locomotives across the state and aspires to follow in his grandfather's footsteps of becoming a train driver. 

Congratulations Harley, and we all look forward to seeing the success of your next advocacy endeavour.

November

Saxon Wilde

Saxon is an active member of the FReeZA Youth Events Committee and has contributed to helping run a number of events throughout the community. Most recently Saxon held the role of ticketing officer at the Battle of the Bands Event in Inverleigh, where he greeted attendees and checked tickets at the door. 

Saxon is also part of the Bannockburn College Band and has performed at many events in the community including singing at the Golden Plains Careers Expo and more recently he performed in Bannockburn Colleges Spring into Music event.  

Saxon is praised for his hardworking and passionate nature and demonstrates excellent leadership skills within the community.  

Congratulations Saxon! 

October

Holly October

Skylah Kent is an active participant in various youth programs. She proudly serves as a member of the Golden Plains FReeZA committee and holds an orange belt with one stripe in Karate. Additionally, Skylah is an integral part of the Bannockburn P-12 College Middle Years Rock Band and College Band.

Skylah's commitment extends beyond her musical and martial arts endeavours. She dedicates her time to attend weekly FReeZA meetings, where she contributes to event planning and shares her innovative ideas. She believes that FReeZA provides an excellent platform for young voices to be heard and for accomplishing meaningful initiatives tailored to youth in the community.

Skylah would like the community to know that a lot of hard work and dedication goes into planning and executing FReeZA events. Despite weekly meetings, it can take months to bring these events to fruition. 

Additionally, Skylah takes pride in advocating for individuals with disabilities. She acknowledges that they may face unique challenges and often require extra effort to accomplish tasks. However, she is resolute in her belief that individuals with disabilities, like herself, are fully capable of achieving anything that others can.

Skylah feels honoured to have been nominated, as it acknowledges her considerable efforts and underscores the importance of not underestimating young people. 

Congratulations Skylah! 

August

Holly Draffin

Holly is an oustanding digital creator who has a passion for showcasing agriculture through video editing and production. Holly lives on Emu Hill Farm where she brings quality photo and drone video footage to life through her business Emu Hill Ag, capturing the beauty of agriculture in the area.

Despite facing illness in the past 12 months, her resilience and creative focus has been inspiring. Holly’s passion has seen her receive an incredible amount of community support to which she feels very thankful for.

Holly is grateful for the community support she has received and feels humbled to be recognised for her passion and dedication in capturing the beauty of the region through social media and her business. It means a lot to Holly that there is a platform to recognise such remarkable young people who live amongst us in the
Shire.

Congratulations Holly!

If you would like to support Holly in her incredible work, you can follow her on Instagram: @filmsbyholly_ and @emuhillag.

Image Credit: Jane Draffin

July

Jayden Scheier

Congratulations to the July Young Person of the Month...Jayden Scheier!

Jayden is an integral and valued member of the Youth Activation Committee, FReeZA Youth Events Crew and supporter of Youth Development programs. As a young person, Jayden has demonstrated an outstanding ability and commitment to seizing opportunities to empower and engage young people and is a profound example of how valuable young people are as leaders in the community. Jayden’s contributions to the Golden Plains community, particularly in advocating for young individuals, have been significant. 

When asked about the recognition, Jayden expressed pride and a sense of achievement. He believes his support and dedication are appreciated. 

Jayden also emphasises the importance of the Golden Plains Youth Hub in Bannockburn, which benefits both himself and other young people. However, he feels limited by the lack of transportation and desires to do more. As a young person in the community, Jayden is often called upon to act as the voice for youth and a positive role model.  

This at times, adds a certain level of pressure on Jayden, however, Jayden remains mature and determined to meet expectations. He values the opportunity to be an active member of Youth Development programs and appreciates the sense of community it provides through diverse activities.

Congratulations Jayden. 

June

Jemma

Congratulations to the June Young Person of the Month...Jemma Mizzi!

Jemma has demonstrated exponential growth in her time being involved with the Golden Plains Youth Hub’s activities and groups. She is a leading member who’s not afraid to put herself out there and always brings passion to everything she does.

Jemma is a dedicated youth leader in the groups she’s involved in, and takes every opportunity to improve her community.

When asked what it means to be a young person in her community, Jemma talked about caring about other young people, ensuring that all their perspectives are seen and to be the voice for young people who may not always speak up. 

Jemma feels proud to be recognised as an individual and as a team member in the groups she’s involved in.

A fun fact about Jemma is that she absolutely loves cats!

Congratulations Jemma.

First Name
Last Name
Age
Pronouns
Name of Nominator
Do you wish to remain anonymous in the recognition?
What are the values the young person demonstrates?
Personal information collected on this form will be used by Council’s Youth Development Department for the Youth Recognition Program. 
Council may disclose your information to other internal departments or Councillors in order to provide all the relevant information required for the Youth Recognition Program and will not disclose to any external party without your consent, unless required or authorised by law.
You have the right to access your personal information and make any necessary corrections. If you have any queries or wish to gain access to amend your information please contact Golden Plains Shire’s Privacy Officer on (03) 5220 7111 or [email protected].

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