Geraldton youth benefit from $184,000 grant

Geraldton MLA Ian Blayney today welcomed a major initiative to discourage risk taking behaviour in young people in the neighbourhoods of Rangeway, Utakarra and Karloo.

Mr Blayney said a grant of $184,000 to the Sun City Christian Centre from the latest round of the State Government’s Criminal Property Confiscation Grants Program would drive a project aimed at aiding and supporting youth in the city’s eastern suburbs.

He said Sun City’s ROCK (Reaching Out to Community Kids) project aimed to establish a suite of programs specifically designed to provide positive and regular engagement and support of these young people.

“ROCK aims to help in their development of relationships, confidence and skills to carve out a better future for themselves,” Mr Blayney said.

“As well as tailored programs, a Community Youth Hub will be open to these young people to drop into and connect with peers, while being exposed to support and diversionary activities.

“This safe and inclusive environment will provide support and enable early intervention as a way of preventing issues from building or situations becoming too complex for these at-risk youth.

“Some programs offered will include weekly music sessions in which the young people will learn to express themselves through music.

“Additionally, there is the opportunity to participate in sessions where the young people can gain creative and technical skills including sound mixing, audio-visual techniques, theatre, dance and production.”

The Criminal Confiscation Grants are funded by money and property seized under The Criminal Property Confiscation Act 2000 (the Act). The primary intention of the Act is to deprive people of wealth that has been unlawfully acquired.

Eligible applicants can apply for grants of up to $200,000 to fund projects which prevent or reduce drug-related crime and drug abuse, support victims of crime or to aid law enforcement. Grant monies are only released to the applicants once they have met certain pre-conditions including contributing in-kind support to the project they are going to run.

Further information about the Criminal Property Confiscation Grants Program and a list of the successful applicants in this round is available on the Department of the Attorney General website at www.dotag.wa.gov.au.