SevenTwenty backs Balga youth group project

Industry recruitment specialist SevenTwenty is helping establish a youth program in Balga, under the auspices of the Heart 4 The City program.

Seed funding for the project was provided by Coles, which donated $10,000 for the initial set-up. So far SevenTwenty and the wider community have invested close to $35,000 for equipment and staffing but a further $15,000 is needed.

SevenTwenty principal Allen Smith said the funds are needed to buy a truck for the venture.

“We have the venue, we have the staff but the owners of the building that we are using are reluctant to allocate us any storage space because of the high crime rate in the area, so we have to provide our own storage truck, which is going to cost another $15,000.”

Balga was selected because of the mix of youth from various backgrounds including refugee, indigenous and lower socio-economic backgrounds in this area. A similar program in Cockburn achieved great success. One of the first people to come through the doors of their youth group was a young man named Lewis Abdullah, who went on to win the Young West Australian of the Year award.

Smith said the project was particularly close to his heart.

“I’m personally quite passionate about this, having come from a troubled background myself. There were no youth groups like this when I was growing up and being a minority in Australia was quite difficult, which is why I feel so strongly about a program like this to break those barriers and bring young people of all backgrounds together.”

For more details and/or to help the cause, contact Allen Smith via email – allen@seventwenty.com.au – or on mobile 0412 978 830.