More than 120 young people have helped the City of Mandurah to shape the new Youth Strategy 2021-2026, which was launched this week at the Billy Dower Youth Centre.
The new strategy aims for all young people in Mandurah to feel connected with and proud of their community; a place where they can participate and belong.
Developed with input from young people aged 11-25 years, many facets of the youth sector, the City’s Youth Advisory Group, Junior Council, education providers, local youth services and the community, the strategy focuses on creating opportunities for a diverse range of young people living, studying or working in Mandurah.
It includes four key areas – Local Spaces and Places, Learning and Working, Connection and Wellbeing, and Leading and Creating – and ensures the City has a clear pathway in the areas that young people say are important to them.
Mayor Rhys Williams said the Youth Strategy would implement initiatives that respect the meaningful contributions of young people, and create a strong sense of belonging.
“Our young people are leading the way today, and they are are such an important part of our community and are the future of this place,” he said.
“This is why it’s so important to us to make a clear commitment to support our young people to live a life in Mandurah that is connected, inspired, safe and filled with opportunity.
“This strategy helps us to shine a light on the aspiration for meaningful participation, empowerment and optimism for our future, and essentially lay the foundations to improve the lives of young people in Mandurah for years to come. It’s great to see that we’ve had extensive input and real-world guidance into this strategy from our local young people, as it is really fundamental that we hear directly from those that our decisions and plans will affect.”
The Strategic Community Plan 2020-2040, developed from the voices of our community, clearly outlines that supporting and providing for young people is important to the community.
Currently, there are more than 12,500 young people aged 12-24 years living in Mandurah from a range of different cultural, family and living backgrounds.
The 2021-2026 Youth Strategy can be found here.
