“We aim to decrease the levels of truancy and juvenile robberies by providing a fresh start to the day,” Mr Salmon said.
ARMIDALE PCYC has received a welcome grant for $5000 for its Breakfast Club program.
The Minister for Police and Emergency Services Michael Gallacher announced the grant in Armidale last Friday when touring the facility along with Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall.
Mr Marshall said the program was aimed at young people aged between 12 and 16 years and the extra funding would help provide transport to the PCYC and then a school drop-off.
Armidale PCYC Manager Paul Salmon was delighted with the grant and said it would help the club achieve its objectives for the program.
“We aim to decrease the levels of truancy and juvenile robberies by providing a fresh start to the day,” Mr Salmon said.
Mr Marshall said it was a good opportunity for the Minister to see the PCYC’s programs and activities first-hand and spend some time talking with staff and volunteers.
“The Minister took a keen interest in the operations of the club, the work of the dedicated PCYC staff and the young people involved in boxing and archery activities while we were there,” he said.
“It was also very positive for the local staff to have NSW PCYC Chief Executive Officer Chris Gardiner there to discuss future plans for the club.”
Mr Salmon said that in addition to the Breakfast Club, there were five resource-intensive programs the Armidale team had been working on, all with a focus on providing a supportive and safe environment for the youth of Armidale.
The Freestyle Fridays recreational program has been providing up to 42 young people with a hot meal on Friday evenings and two fun activities which will usually include a sporting activity such a basketball and boxing.
Mr Salmon said that four staff members and other volunteers are on hand for the night’s events and participants were being collected from and dropped off at home.
The YouthFit program focuses on providing a low impact fitness circuit three times a week and is aimed at 14 to 17-year-olds. The club has two qualified instructors who alternate the program’s structure and agenda.
“It has a strong educational component which deals with physical fitness and healthy eating habits,” Mr Salmon said.
“Our Driver Mentor program is still in the developmental stage but will provide support and supervision for young people learning to drive.”
Mr Marshall said the programs were an excellent way to raise the self-esteem of young people.
“It gives them an opportunity to make friends and develop and sense of belonging in the community,” he said.
“PCYC is a great organisation and provides a huge range of activities to get involved in, from sports like basketball, boxing and archery, to many other community-focused events.”
