May 4, 2023
Have you ordered your flowers yet for Mother’s Day? If you happen to live near Cherbourg, there’s a bunch of young people who are very keen to help you …
Cherbourg’s Youth Advisory Group (YAG) has been working on a number of projects lately, but the most recent is bunches of flowers for Mother’s Day.
The idea for YAG dates back to 2021 when Cherbourg Council received some funding aimed at connecting Cherbourg youth to Elders and culture.
Community Services Manager Edwina Stewart said story-telling, well-being and building resilience were some of the topics considered.
A youth forum was held, community surveys undertaken and other stakeholders interviewed … and the eventual result was the establishment of the YAG.
The young people who make up the group are aged from 12-25 and have been meeting regularly since then.
They have enthusiastically thrown themselves into volunteer projects in the community, such as repairing vandalism, cleaning up the skate park and helping to set up at events.
YAG members also helped out at the Cherbourg Christmas Fair, have enjoyed arts, pottery and music workshops; helped to tidy up the football ground sheds and paint the canteen.
A few weeks ago, another Youth Forum was held, this time organised by YAG members themselves.
They connected with Elders, discussing positives and negatives in the community, tossing around ideas and collecting suggestions for more projects.
One of the ideas was to hold a ball during NAIDOC Week, reviving an old Cherbourg tradition of ballroom dancing.
Up to 20 young people have now been turning up twice a week for dancing practice in the lead-up to the big event on July 5.
Edwina said this was also proving popular with older members of the community who have been enjoying sharing their skills.
Council’s Community Services department has been supporting their effort by collecting ballroom gowns, suits, shoes and even jewellery so everyone can look glamorous on the night.
The other YAG project focussing attention at the moment is Mother’s Day.
Edwina said several YAG members had spent time recently with florist Felicity Aitken at a well-being workshop in Murgon.
They were now busy taking orders for Mother’s Day flowers and had hopes of opening their own YAG shop in Cherbourg.
Council has employed two people to help guide the YAG activities, Neil Simpson and Yolandie Gadd.
Edwina said the community had begun noticing that YAG members “kept on turning up” and were growing in confidence.
Two young men have now gained full-time employment with Council; while another has just begun a Certificate 1 in Business. Others have returned to school …
Wawida Collins, from Community Services, said YAG members were proud of what they had been achieving and were learning new skills.
They will now be attending a leadership course on the Gold Coast in June.
“We are getting these children to not just think with their heads, but with their hearts. It’s not just a job,” Edwina said.
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Ross Gray is one of the YAG members who has been turning heads in Cherbourg.
Ross is now 21 and admits he had troubles with police in his younger years.
However, he’s now keen to reach other young people in the Cherbourg community and be their voice when dealing with organisations such as Council, CRAICCHS and Jumbunna.
“I want to give back to the community,” he said.
Ross, who is the grandson of the late Aunty Lillian Gray, chaired the recent YAG Youth Forum and has been an active participant in volunteer activities.
He began working at Cherbourg Radio this week on a three-month program.
Station co-ordinator Michael Monk said he was hoping to access more funding to extend this to a 12-month traineeship in broadcasting.
Ross said people had noticed the change in him.
As he was walking home after work this week, people had called out to him: “Your grandmother would be so proud of you!”
