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20 FEBRUARY, 2024
Get ready to celebrate South Morang will be bright and colourful for the annual Whittlesea Colour Carnival on February 25. A colourful afternoon filled with the ancient Hindu tradition Holi, colour toss and play, live DJ, dancing, food and more is planned. Adding to the excitement, an air show display will be part of this multicultural celebration. Mission Smile president Sunil Goel is excited to share with the public for the eighth time. “Holi has been celebrated in the Indian subcontinent for centuries, with poems documenting celebrations dating back to the fourth century CE,” he said. “Symbol of the triumph of good over evil. “Eighth year now running this event, the event has grown from strength to strength with so many people from different ethnic backgrounds who come together and play with colour. “Come and enjoy the festivities, immerse in colour and together, let’s celebrate the rich cultural diversity of City of Whittlesea.” The carnival will be celebrated from noon-6pm on the Whittlesea Civic Centre lawns. Anne Parisianne
Anil Bhoj and Hithanjanee Yatawara. (Damjan Janevski) 386667_01
Youth program at risk By Tara Murray Five hundred young people in Whittlesea will be left without a youth centre with Innovation Youth Centre set to close at the end of this month. The centre has previously received federal government funding to run its programs in Whittlesea, but that funding expires at the end of this month. Attempts to gain more funding, through the state and federal governments, and Whittlesea council have so far been unsuccessful. Youth programs coordinator Michael Jakubowski said it was heartbreaking that they would have to shut the doors. “We’re the only direct youth service in the municipality,” he said. “We’ve gone to
government and the council and no one has been able to help us so far. “We have 500 young people who we have served the last two years. They have nowhere to go after we close. “We want to get that message out there. We’ve set up a GoFundMe to try and get some money and hopefully we can get a grant as well.” Mr Jakubowski said the centre had been funded through the Safer Communities Fund. He said they had exceeded all their key performance indicators, but it still hadn’t been renewed. He said the centre had become a safe space for young people. “I feel for them,” he said. “They don’t know what will happen in three weeks’ time. “We don’t have funding to support them.
There’s other avenues but they’re not always the best avenues to go down.” The centre has a case worker who provides one-on-one support which is vital with other services having long waiting lists. They have mentors who help provide positive role models, there’s a drop in program twice a week which provides safe places for anyone in the area. Jakubowski said they had young people from a number of different schools who use the centre. There is also a driving program to help young people get their hours up to get their licences and an uplift group. He said they also talk to young people about what they see are the issues and how they can help.
“We do anything that young people need.” As well as having nowhere for the young people to go, eight staff including Mr Jakubowski will lose their jobs. “Anyone who can do anything to help would be appreciated.” A spokesperson for the attorney general’s office said that project activities in that round of the funding are to be completed by April 30 and that future grant opportunities will be made public. Whittlesea council chief executive Craig Lloyd said the council isn’t in the position to contribute funding for IYC’s ongoing operations. ■ Continued: Page 3.
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