Youth Leadership Project Class of 2022 graduates
Published on 21 September 2022
The achievements of young community leaders have been recognized at a ceremony in Beaufort this week.
Councillors and community leaders, along with board members and officials from the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation, gathered for the graduation of 10 young local people in the 2022 Western Bulldogs Community Foundation / Pyrenees Shire Council Youth Leadership Project.
The leadership program funded by Pyrenees Shire Council and run by the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation is designed to promote well-being and engagement, helping young people to become active in the community.
The group has been meeting fortnightly throughout the year to develop leadership skills, learn about education and employment pathways and develop ideas about how to connect in with local community.
The work has resulted in a proposal for a youth drop-in space where young people can connect after school with friends in a safe space, along with ideas about how to deliver mental health aid for farmers.
Pyrenees Shire Council Mayor, Cr Ron Eason, congratulated the graduates on their achievements and thanked the Western Bulldogs Board for your ongoing community commitment and your support to the Pyrenees community.
“We hope you have had fun, built your confidence, learned lots, and been challenged over the course of the program,” said Cr Eason. “We also hope you have recognised the opportunity you have to lead and influence new opportunities for the other 938 young people, aged 12 – 24, that live in Pyrenees shire in years to come.”
Western Bulldogs Community Foundation Youth and School Programs Manager, Hannah Singleton, lauded the achievements of the next generation of Pyrenees leaders.
“The future of the Pyrenees region is in good hands thanks to the outstanding young people graduating from the program,” said Singleton. “Their willingness to give back and create a proposal for a youth drop in space, as well as other impactful projects, is inspiring.”
Photo: (from left) Pyrenees Shire Council CEO Jim Nolan, Cr Robert Vance, Cr David Clark, Cr Damian Ferrari, Mayor Cr Ron Eason and Cr Tanya Kehoe with leadership program graduates Reagan Fulford, Jacob Kellett, Ellie Franc, Harrison Grant and Paddy Alexander
The remaining graduates, who were unable to attend on the night, are Jet Kerr, Seth Arvidson, Hamish Pratt, Zac Spicer and Noah Scofield.