A grassroots project aimed at empowering and engaging high school students has been given a funding boost by the State Government.
A grant of $50,000 has been awarded to Belong Blue Mountains to finance their Pick’n Mix: Connecting and Choice for Marginalised Young People program for 2025.
Member for Blue Mountains, Trish Doyle, said she was delighted Belong Blue Mountains had been successful in their grant application.
“I congratulate Belong Blue Mountains on their success with the grant,” Ms Doyle said.
“The health and wellbeing of our young people is a key priority of mine. Anything we can do to keep young people more connected in our community, we will do.”
The Minns Labor Government made the funding announcement during NSW Youth Week 2025 from April 9-17. A total of $735,000 in funding has been given to new projects that enable marginalised young people to lead and participate in community development activities.
Young people are closely involved in all the state-funded projects every step of the way, from identifying what their peers need, to workshopping the proposals and delivering the projects.
Manager of Families, Children and Youth Community Services, Danielle Wilding-Forbes, said their programs “collaborate with schools and support young people to be more involved in community events”.
They have worked with Katoomba, Winmalee, Springwood, Blaxland and Lithgow High Schools on breakfast or lunch programs, with a focus on gender-diverse, neurodiverse and First Nations students. They also run a youth drop-in space through Katoomba Neighbourhood Centre at 81-83 Katoomba Street.
“Much of the success of the programs is due to the unwavering efforts and expertise of social worker Rachael Rae,” Ms Wilding-Forbes added.
Their programs “add in to the landscape of support of youth services in the Mountains,” she said. “We’ve been able to meet the needs of young people as expressed by them”.
Their group was also recently awarded $30,000 for their Digital Drift program, which works to create safe online interactions. The funding was through The Parks - Sydney's Parkland Councils, an alliance of local governments that have partnered with the state and federal governments to deliver the 20-year Western Sydney City Deal.
Minister for Youth Rose Jackson said: “The Youth Opportunities program delivers projects by young people for young people.
“I am thrilled to announce we’ve expanded this year’s program, with 16 additional grant recipients receiving grants to drive projects in their areas.”
Since it was first launched in 2012, the Youth Opportunities program has provided $19.2 million in funding and delivered 434 youth empowering projects across the state.
Find out more information about the NSW Government's program: https://www.nsw.gov.au/grants-and-funding/youth-opportunities-program/previous-recipients/youth-opportunities-program-2024/25-round-13
MEDIA: Brenda Cunningham-Lewis | Trish Doyle | (02) 4751 3298
