Father Chris Riley and Youth Off The Streets invite the community to the Opening Ceremony for the new Centre for Youth in Macquarie Fields on Thursday, 1st of December at 10am at 86 Parliament Rd, Macquarie Fields, named after David and Libby Koch, long time supporters of the organisation.

 

The $7.2 million Centre for Youth will be home to one of our fully registered and accredited independent high schools, providing state of the art classrooms and learning areas for EDEN College. The centre will provide the community with recreation areas, multipurpose indoor and outdoor courts, a community garden and nursery and a recording studio with rehearsal room. It will be a base for the organisation’s Aboriginal and Community Engagement services for South Western Sydney, and also provide a range of volunteering opportunities and access to our Service Learning program.

 

Founder and CEO of Youth Off The Streets, Father Chris Riley, believes that the Centre will be of great benefit to the young people and community members of Macquarie Fields, offering a range of support services and engagement activities.

“The new Centre for Youth will be different from any currently operating, as it has the capacity to be open 24 hours, depending on the need. A 24 hour capacity ensure that it operates a child protection strategy as young people who are victims of domestic violence have a place of safety to turn to”, Father Riley said.

 

“Traditionally Youth Centres have been places of activity. Our centre has certainly been set up to provide some great activities; however, it has also been set up so that young people can wash their clothes, attend cooking or parenting classes, be fed, access services for job seeking, receive court support and case work, and have an entry point to our alcohol and other drug assistance programs. The new Centre will provide a place of social inclusion and a holistic approach to caring for kids to hold them in their local community through opportunities offered free of charge.”

 

The Opening Ceremony will have a range of speakers, including the Hon. Barry O’Farrell MP, Premier of New South Wales, the Hon. Kate Ellis MP, Minister for Employment Participation and Child Care, Mr David Koch, presenter of Sunrise on Channel 7, and Father Chris Riley.

 

The organisation was invited into Macquarie Fields by the local community in the wake of the public disturbances in 2005.

After receiving approval from Campbelltown Council to commence construction of the centre for youth in October 2010 for the young people and community of Macquarie Fields, the centre has been completed, with services officially due to begin in February.

 

Founder and CEO of Youth Off The Streets, Father Chris Riley, believes that the Centre and the activities it provides will set an Australian benchmark for excellence in the provision of youth and community services.

 

“From the moment I started working in Macquarie Fields I have found it to be the best community I have ever had the pleasure of working in; in fact, it is the community I choose to spend Christmas with every year. I am thrilled that we have established a Centre for Youth in the area to support youth and the community in general.”

 

“I believe that in time, the strength of community spirit and support for young people here in Macquarie Fields will set an example for communities Australia-wide, and we feel privileged to have received so much support from the community for this new development”, Father Riley said.

Youth Off The Streets is thankful for the Government funding, from both the Australian Government and the NSW Government, for the Centre.

 

Additionally the organisation is thankful for the enormous support received by the community, both financial and pro bono, without which the construction would not be possible.

 

The organisation would particularly like to thank:

 

Principal partners:

 Brookfield Multiplex;

 Bermagui Constructions Pty Ltd;

 Campbelltown City Council

 Clubs NSW;

 CSR Building Products in association with Alutri Panels, Bradford, Edmonds Technologies, Fricker Ceiling Systems, Gyprock and Rondo;

 Estate of the late Victor Spence;

 Krikis Taylor Architects Pty Ltd; and

 Minter Ellison Lawyers;

 

Other major partners for the Centre for Youth include:

 AGL;

 BCA Logic Pty Ltd;

 British Paving Co. Pty Ltd;

 Eden Gardens and Garden Centre;

 Guess Watches;

 JBA Urban Planning Consultants;

 Links Plumbing Services Pty Ltd;

 Morris Goding;

 Norman Disney & Young;

 Regal Landscaping;

 Rider Levett Bucknall;

 Schneider Electric Australia Pty Ltd;

 Taylor Thompson Whitting;

 Terrazzo Australian Marble P/L;

 The Ainsworth Family; and

 Waterman AHW Pty Ltd.*

*Updated on issue of release.