Council has secured a $299,000 funding grant in the second round of the Victorian Government’s Building Safer Communities program to support a locally-driven project to improve community safety and address the causes of crime.
Minister for Higher Education, Training and Skills the Hon. Gayle Tierney and Member for Geelong Christine Couzens MP announced the grant, following a recent visit with Mayor Cr Gavin Gamble to the Golden Plains Youth Hub in Bannockburn.
The grant will fund a dedicated youth professional for two years based at the Golden Plains Youth Hub, who will focus on programs, workshops and support positive interventions that disrupt risk factors and improve protective factors for young people, including building young people’s resilience, education, employment and training pathways.
In addition to the Building Safer Communities funding grant, Council has provided an in-kind contribution of $105,843 to deliver the crime prevention project.
Mayor Cr Gavin Gamble thanked the Victorian Government for partnering with Council to deliver a dedicated crime prevention program across Golden Plains Shire.
The Council Plan 2021-2025 features a strong commitment to youth development in Golden Plain Shire and this new funding will focus on supporting local young people at risk.
In Golden Plains, we have an active and engaged group of young people who are connected with Council’s many youth programs. This new project will achieve positive outcomes and opportunities for young people in Golden Plains by building resilience and strengthening connections with education, employment, and training pathways.
The project will be shared with communities across Golden Plains Shire to educate local leaders, parents and Council; it will help these groups support local young people become active members of their communities and lead full happy lives.
The Building Safer Communities Program provides grants and community forums and is a cornerstone of the Victorian Government’s Crime Prevention Strategy, which sets out a long-term approach to addressing the root causes of crime and building safer communities across Victoria.
Pictured above: Member for Geelong Christine Couzens (second from left) and Minister Gayle Tierney (second from right) met local youth leaders Anthony Pebbles (left) and Jayden Scheier (right) at the Golden Plains Youth Hub in Bannockburn in June.