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Youth Collective Committee

What is the Youth Collective Committee?

The Youth Collective Committee (YCC) is group of young people selected to represent the views and values of young people in the City of Marion. They meet twice a month and bridge the gap between council and community.

“We aim to work with teams and departments across the Council on issues, topics and concerns that are important to our young people. Our vision is to work on issues such as safety and security, mental health, the environment, arts and music, education and technology relevant to young people in our local Council area. We also work to provide a unique perspective on Council issues, whilst also gaining important skills, learning about local government and youth specific issues.”

The Safe Space Project

There was an old school of thought that “adults know best and are the experts.” This is true to some extent, yes there are experts who study for almost a decade to specialize in Psychiatry, Psychology and other professions. However, this is not usually effective in providing the best care and making a young person feel safe and respected… Thankfully, we are seeing more and more decisions being made WITH young people, rather than FOR THEM! Not taking into consideration the perspective of the young person is inadequate and it is robbing the person of making choices and having a sense of independence and control over their own life.

Feeling safe and having support that actually considers my wants and needs is critically important to ensuring that I feel safe, secure and supported in life. After receiving excellent early-intervention mental health care in NSW, I wanted to use my lived experience of mental health and receiving those supports to improve the experience for other young people who are accessing those services and navigating a mental illness or mental health crisis for the first time.

With this Safe Space project, the Marion Youth Collective Committee and The Commissioner for Children and Young People are hoping to hear and amplify the voice of young people, and advocate for what they want and need to help their support system and supporters (friends, family, health professionals, teachers, etc) make them feel safe and secure where they are, and within themselves. We hope you enjoy this report, from one young person to another.

- James Beaumont, City of Marion’s Young Citizen of the Year 2022.

The Safe Space Project is an initiative where young people in the City of Marion got to have a say about mental health and wellbeing. This project was lead by the City of Marion Youth Collective Committee as a part of the Commissioner for Children and Young People's Community Conversations Project. In the consultation phase we heard from over 150 young people in a range of formats, where young people lead workshops and participated in activities and surveys. Young people told us what helps them to feel safe, what activities they do to keep themselves safe, and much more.

This project outlines the importance of mental health support tailored for young people, and the need for this in the community. The report also showcases how informed young people are, and that they have the ideas to create solutions targeted for their community. Young people provide mental health support, support others, and want to learn more about this.

When asked about what they would like to see change around mental health in their community, their blue sky ideas, 5 key themes came out of this:

- Wellbeing 41%

- Education and employment 22%

- Connection 19%

- Advocacy 11%

- Equal access 7%

The Safe Space Project is an initiative led by young people for young people. It hopes to provide insight into how keyed in and knowledgeable young people are about things that affect them, and that they have the solutions. The Safe Space Report will showcase youth led ideas and hopes to demonstrate to council needs that must be addressed to support youth mental health and wellbeing in the City of Marion. We hope that this report informs programs and initiatives to improve wellbeing outcomes for young people in the City of Marion and beyond.