New Voices for Youth
Julie Charlton, Rory O’Connor and Munira Tabassum Ahmed are this year’s Sydney Hills Youth Ambassadors.
Munira is a talented writer and performer and is passionate about the arts, mental health and wellbeing.
Rory has lived in the Hills all his life. A Bushcare volunteer, Rory is currently completing a media and economics degree at Macquarie University.
Julie is a passionate advocate for people with disability. She has travelled throughout NSW to talk about the issues that they face. A sports coach, she has also been the chairperson at the Youth Advisory Council.
Hills Shire Mayor, Dr Michelle Byrne welcomed the new ambassadors to The Hills Shire Council team saying:
“Each brings something new to the table, as well as a strong focus on ensuring young people remain connected and engaged in their local community.”
The Mayor also thanked the outgoing Youth Ambassadors Hayley Irving and Anthony Radic for their dedication to the role during 2020/21.
“Hayley and Anthony have done a terrific job, especially at a time when we were made to remain apart to protect the community from the further spread of COVID-19. The pandemic brought its challenges, but these two individuals worked really hard to ensure their fellow peers remained in high spirits.”
Anthony Radic said one of the most significant projects he and Hayley were involved with during the year was collaborating with Headspace Castle Hill to create a weekly video series focussing on Mental Health concerns of local youth. Topics included ‘Managing HSC stress’ and ‘What to do if your friend is struggling’.
Anthony and Hayley also worked on restarting the Hills Youth Army, a group for young people aged between 15 and 25, which this year worked on a Harmony Day project and participated in Clean Up Australia Day at Bella Vista Farm, collecting nine bags of rubbish (30kg) with the Mayor Dr Michelle Byrne.
Anthony said: “The Hills Youth Ambassadors have been in continuous collaboration with the local NSW police force to discuss long term ways to decrease youth crime. Hayley and I (also) worked with the Cattai Hills Environment Network to discuss ideas concerning their ‘Bush kids’ program and promote local environmental awareness for primary school children.
“ More Information about the Hills Youth Army visit the HYA Facebook page – www.facebook.com/HillsYouthArmy or contact The Hills Shire Council Community Development Officer – Volunteer and Grants on 02 9843 0322 or email [email protected].
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