Connect For Kids and safe and caring community

Connect For Kids and safe and caring community Berry Street Logo

Connect For Kids

Berry Streets’ ‘Connect for Kids’ is a group of community programs, operating in the Murrindindi Shire, that together aim:

To Promote the Health and Wellbeing of Children and Young People by Focusing on and Supporting the Strengthening of Healthy Communities.

Our Programs include:

  • Safe and Caring Community (Cathedral Schools Cluster area) – a community development program that, through several community sub-committees, develops and implements local responses to issues affecting the well-being of young people in the context of their communities.
  • Youth in Murrindindi Program (from Alexandra and Yea) – services/activities include individual support to young people, school support and programs, youth events and activities.
  • Youth Arts Program (from Alexandra and Yea) – Youth-focused community arts programs, projects and events.
  • Cartwheels (Cathedral Schools Cluster area) – a program that involves artists working with young people in school communities, alongside other health professionals, to improve the social and emotional well-being of young people.
  • Youth Leadership Program (from Alexandra) – a multi-component leadership program for year 11 and 12 girls from Alexandra Secondary College and Yea High School.
  • Volunteer Resource Centre (from Alexandra) – a volunteer information and referral service for people wishing to volunteer in their community, and a resource service for community organisations that involve volunteers.
  • Emergency Relief (from Alexandra) – a service to provide emergency financial assistance and referral for people experiencing financial hardship. Incorporating Foodshare – a program that allows people to give, take and exchange food with one another so that all community members have enough food – and the Firewood Program.
  • Education Support program (from Yea High School) – a program to support connections between school, family and community to help ensure that all students are engaged in meaningful pathways of learning and activity.

Safe and Caring Community

YEWTH (Youth Engagement & Well being Towards Healthy choices) Sub Committee

‘an integrated whole-of-community approach to building a safer and more caring neighbourhood in which to live, learn, work and play’

This sub-committee originally formed in response to a large number of instances involving underage drinking. This is an area of concern to a broad cross section of the community, and parallels Australia wide trends. Statistically the Murrindindi Shire has had a high incidence of underage drinking and this was perceived to be symptomatic of broader community issues. To date, the Sub Committee has approached this issue with a focus on the following three goal areas:

Youth - hearing the ideas and voice of our young people
Parents - peer support network (parents being connected and working together)
Community - education programs and awareness raising

Some early initiatives were:

-    Breathalyser at the school social
-    Articles in the local paper to raise awareness
-    Flyers distributed through free show bags at local events
-    Restorative justice approaches, supporting young peoples’ responsibility for the consequences of their actions

The sub-committee comprises of representatives from some of the partner organisations to the S&CC Project, and therefore the potential is for collaborative youth initiatives involving local Community health agencies, Vic Police, schools, service clubs, sporting clubs and more.  Young people and their parents are invited to be involved in the consultation and development process and all projects will be responsive to community needs. There are a number of young people who have expressed a willingness to be part of promoting positive messages to others and we hope to work together to combat youth boredom and disconnectedness.

A facilitated strategic planning process has formulated the following:

Mission


‘To engage young people in creating opportunities that will support them in making healthy life choices in partnership with the community’

Values

  • Inspiring cultural change
  • Fair and considerate
  • Family and community minded
  • Working together


‘Working together to inspire cultural change in a fair and considerate, family and community minded environment’


The group will continue to work with the three original goal areas and the following Objectives:
(These Objectives are listed in order of voted priority)

1/ YOUTH VOICE (from the Youth goal area)

2/ COMMUNITY CENTRE – with Youth Space (from the Community goal area)

3/ FAMILY INCLUSION (from the Parents goal area)

4/ YOUTH SPACE (from the Youth goal area)

5/ COMMUNITY SUPPORT (from the Community goal area)