Dale Shaddick
Byron Youth Service know many young women in our community are struggling to find confidence and self-acceptance, and therefore are unable to realise their full and amazing potential.
Youth worker Jacqui Abel had a vision last year to create a girls’ wellbeing group, and Haven was born.
Haven has been created as a support group to enable local young women to thrive.
The world can be a challenging place for teenagers with different pressures from school, family life, socialising, relationships and social media coalescing just as they are becoming young adults.
News about global environmental and social crises also have an enormous effect on young people.
Haven aims to grow resilience, emotional intelligence, self-esteem, belonging and connectedness in young women.
Facilitated by professional youth workers, Haven involves fun activities, discussions, workshop presenters, creative ventures, preparing and sharing food, and ongoing support to assist participants to become empowered and fulfilled.
For ages 13 to 16
The program is for young women between 13 and 16 years old and will run on Tuesday afternoons throughout the 2020 school year.
Haven will run from the YAC in Byron and transport will be provided to and from most of the local towns. Recognising that lack of transport is a huge barrier for many young people in the Byron shire, the Youth Service has made this a priority.
Haven would not have been possible without the support and trust of the Vasudhara Foundation, which supports social entrepreneurs to build creative and innovative projects that deliver positive social impact.
The name Vasudhara is inspired by the Tibetan Goddess of prosperity and generosity, and they are passionate about the meeting of western and eastern wisdom as a means of sharing wealth to support beneficial change for society.
Byron Youth Service is so excited and grateful for this opportunity to support local teenage girls in a program with the time and resources to make real grounded change in their lives.
We strongly believe the ripple effect from creating healthy self-respect in young women can change the world.
To get involved visit www.bys.org.au or call 6685 7777.
♦ Dale Shaddick is from BYS.
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