Representatives from the Bendigo Regional YMCA attended a conference in Thailand on youth empowerment.
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Jamie Roberts and Julie Bowe spent a week at the 19th YMCA World Council working with their international colleagues to analyse and develop methods that will support, empower and inspire young people in the future.
YMCA World Council in Thailand
From Chiang Mai to central Victoria, the general consensus is that mental health is the biggest challenge and concern for youth around the world.
BRYMCA youth empowerment coordinator Jamie Roberts said there was an entire generation of young people who struggled with their mental health.
“There’s no doubt that it has become one of the biggest problems of our generation,” Mr Roberts said.
“It really affirms that we need to be looking at how we can make a difference and influence positive changes for young people within our community.”
BRYMCA community services manager Julie Bowe was inspired when she heard the various initiatives and campaigns of the other YMCAs from across the globe.
“There are so many challenges for young people across the world and upon returning to Bendigo we just wanted to get on with it,” Mrs Bowe said.
The main challenges for youth that were highlighted at the conference included mental health, education and employment, community connectedness and the desire for young people to have a “sense of purpose”.
Youth group and campaigns
BRYMCA plans to launch a weekly youth group, facilitated by young people from throughout the community.
Mr Roberts said it was important to give young people an outlet to discuss their issues and concerns.
“Our goal is to have a regular program that’s available to young people outside of school hours, to act as an outlet for them to interact with each other and discuss the issues which they feel are important for the future,” Mr Roberts said.
They will continue to partner with the City of Greater Bendigo on projects for young people, including the development of the Bendigo Youth Summit.
The plan is to work with the COGB’s inclusive communities team, headspace and young people’s reference groups to develop the summit to be held in April 2019 during Youth Week.
“Mental health is the number one concern for young people in Bendigo which also mirrors nationally and globally,” Mr Roberts said.
Based on new connections made at the conference, the BRYMCA will work closely with a YMCA in the UK to promote the wellbeing of young people through the #IAMWHOLE campaign.
The campaign highlights the stigma and encourages individuals to openly talk about their mental health and raise awareness by posting pictures of themselves on social media with circles drawn on their hands.
Mrs Bowe said the campaign was effective and engaged young people.
“We want to encourage young people to take a whole hour out of their day to focus and find ways that will help support their mental health," Mrs Bowe said.
They will also adopt a similar campaign based on the Five Ways to Wellbeing campaign which focuses on themes of connections, staying active, learning, being aware and helping others as a way to raise awareness about mental and physical health.
Mr Roberts described it as a strong campaign that was easy to understand.
“It’s all about reducing the stigma and normalising the fact we all need to look after our mental health in the same way we pay so much attention to improving our physical health,” Mr Roberts said.
Connections
A major concern of Mr Roberts was an increase in the use of social media and a fear that it would replace face-to-face conversations with people.
Mr Roberts was concerned there had been an increase in the reliance of people using social media.
“It’s a worry that people aren’t having as many meaningful face-to-face conversations anymore,” Mr Roberts said.
“We’re now more connected than ever before, but we’re all glued to our phones.
“We’ve never had more people throughout the community tell us that they are feeling alone and isolated.”
Mrs Bowe said it was not healthy to replace face-to-face interactions with social media.
“It’s easy to feel connected on social media but it lacks the personal level of interaction which is easily lost in the online world,” Mrs Bowe said.
However, they believe it was important not to “demonise” social media as it did have beneficial uses in spreading important messages throughout the community.
Building new networks and staying relevant for the future
The YMCA has been active in Australia since 1851, providing a range of services for local communities.
Mr Roberts said the YMCA was built on providing opportunities for young people.
“We want to remember our roots and what we stand for,” Mr Roberts said.
Mr Roberts said if multiple networks were built for young people they would feel like they “have a say” and were able to provide input on important issues.
“We need to constantly be mindful that we are meeting the needs of young people,” Mr Roberts said.
“We know what the issues are, things such as mental health and employment, but now we will refine our approach to how we address them.”
The YMCA’s belief statement focuses on empowering and supporting young people to enable them to reach their full potential and develop resilience.
The YMCA has been in Bendigo since the days of the gold rush.
A photo of a YMCA vehicle in the Bendigo Easter Parade in 1951 sits above Mr Roberts’s desk as a reminder of the importance of the organisation in central Victoria, but also across the world.
“We have a very long history in Bendigo and we want to make sure we honour it and develop it further for the future,” Mr Roberts said.
For information on campaigns and projects by the Bendigo Regional YMCA contact 5444 3360.
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