Leanne’s new role puts youth first

Leanne Rawlings is the Parkes Shire’s new youth officer - a dedicated role focused on strengthening youth engagement, wellbeing and participation. Leanne has been appointed to the part-time position for an initial three-year term and will lead initiatives that support young people and help them access a broad range of programs, activities and pathways across the shire. The role through Parkes Shire Council has been created to provide a coordinated and flexible approach to supporting young people, while building on the valuable work already being delivered by local youth service providers, schools and community organisations. A resident satisfaction survey identified increased youth services and support as the community's highest service priority, council said. With the support of Northparkes Operations, who's funding the role, Parkes Shire mayor Neil Westcott said council is excited to address this priority head-on and invest in initiatives that support young people across the region. Northparkes general manager Thomas Lethbridge said he is pleased to see this role move from an idea to reality. “We’re proud to partner with Parkes Shire Council on this initiative and look forward to seeing the youth officer build strong connections across the community and help turn young people’s ideas into opportunities," he said. Leanne will engage with young people, schools, community organisations, sporting clubs and service providers to identify local needs, strengthen partnerships and support leadership development, social connection and participation. Rather than duplicating existing services, Leanne will focus on connecting young people with current programs, developing new initiatives where gaps exist, and fostering collaboration across the shire to ensure young people have access to a broad range of opportunities. She said she is passionate about supporting young people and strengthening youth engagement across the shire. “Working with young people and creating a safe, inclusive community for our next generation has always been a lifelong passion of mine," Leanne said. "Stepping into the youth officer role means everything to me, and I am genuinely excited for the opportunity to bring young people from all backgrounds together as one. “I look forward to strengthening our youth community engagement and ensuring their voices are truly heard and brought to life across the Parkes Shire.” Mayor Westcott welcomed Leanne’s appointment, describing it as an exciting step for everyone. “The youth officer will help create opportunities for young people to be heard, develop new skills, build connections and participate in activities that support their wellbeing and future aspirations," he said. Council's cultural, education and library services manager Kerryn Jones will oversee the role and said it provides an important opportunity to unite existing services while creating new pathways for young people. “This new role will support youth-focused programs and events, coordinate activities through council facilities and community venues, establish partnerships across the region and deliver outreach initiatives to smaller communities throughout the shire,” she said. With Leanne's appointment, the Parkes Youth Collective has formed and there are already some exciting activities locked-in with the spring school holidays just around the corner. These include skate park social events in Parkes and Trundle, and a cosplay armor workshop at the Marramarra Makerspace. You can follow the Parkes Youth Collective on Facebook for the latest updates.