National Youth Week events are in full flight around the Hunter.
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The annual initiative is aimed at people from 12 to 25 years and sees thousands of people in that demographic engage with creativity and communities across Australia.
Maitland City Council and the NSW Office of Communities put together an impressive calendar of events and workshops this year designed to engage and inspire the young people in our suburbs.
Activities such as street art workshops, art exhibitions, scratch DJ and hip hop workshops, youth night markets and the chance to see live music performances, are ways of bringing young people together and help them connect with those who share similar interests.
While in capital cities there is an abundance of venues, groups and entertainment for young people, teenagers in regional and rural areas are sometimes forgotten.
Activities like those offered during National Youth Week can channel the creative passion of young people into legal and beneficial outlets.
Thornton Church of Christ’s new Pastor Damien Parks and his wife Suzanne noticed a lack of activities for young people in suburb so organised the skate and music event Shred Sk8 Festival for Youth Week.
“The problem is particularly bad for young people. There are no cafes or pubs or shopping areas,” Mrs Parks told the Mercury.
Woodberry’s Swamp Stomp, hosted by Maitland Neighbourhood Centre, evolved from a Youth Week event into a day out that welcomes people of all ages.
National Youth Week is not just an opportunity to steer young people away from dangerous activity or vandalism, it is also about introducing young people to pastimes, sports and hobbies that they might not have otherwise discovered.
The organisers of the Hunter’s Youth Week events should be commended, particularly the volunteers who worked tirelessly to make them happen.