Woden Community Service staff gave up their Saturday on 1 May to breathe some life into the ageing Woden Youth Centre. Photo: Supplied.
Woden Community Service CEO Jenny Kitchin was just one of more than 40 of the organisation’s staff who got their hands dirty to spruce up Woden Youth Centre on Saturday, 1 May.
The staff volunteered their time at a working bee to bring a bit of sparkle back to the 31-year-old youth centre, which is home to a variety of youth, mental health and disability programs.
Ms Kitchin and others had the windows shining by the end of the day, while others worked hard to repaint the entrance and plant garden beds.
Woden Community Service’s director of disability, mental health and aged care, Pam Boyer, said the building and outdoor areas were looking tired so the staff and community members decided to give up their time to freshen it up.
“We did a lot of rubbish and weed clearing, deep cleaning and window washing,” she says.
“The centre is used by a whole range of clients and it’s important the facilities they come and use are in good condition.
“The staff decided to put our energy into making it brighter and cleaner.”
Staff from across all sectors of Woden Community Service lent a hand, including those from finance, HR, NDIS staff and the youth and mental health teams.
Bunnings donated the plants, mulch and gardening equipment for the working bee, while the barbecue lunch was supplied by Coles and Freddy Frapples.
Pam says not only do the gardens look great, the front entrance is now bright and welcoming thanks to the Bunnings team and Taubmans Paint.
Woden Youth Centre is the only youth centre on Canberra’s southside. It operates programs for youth on weekdays, including after-school and evening youth activities for young people in crisis, or those who just want to hang out and use the facilities.
Pam says the centre has a community hall and meeting spaces from which other community groups are run, such as disability programs for both intellectually and psychosocial disabled clients.
She says, looking forward, the centre hopes to attract funding for internal painting, replacing the flooring and revamping the toilets.
Woden Youth Centre is located on Callam Street, opposite Woden Bus Interchange, and has facilities such as table tennis, pool tables, half-court basketball, a jam room, computer access and free wi-fi.
Drop-in hours are Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:00 pm until 5:00 pm, and Fridays from 3:00 pm until 6:00 pm, including a free meal.
Find out more about Woden Community Service here, and its Youth Engagement Team at Woden Youth Centre here.
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