Youths get their own space

By Glen Atwell
GREATER Dandenong has continued to demonstrate its commitment to youth services with the launch of two new initiatives.
The Venue and Y Space were officially launched last week and are already being well used by the city’s young people.
The Venue, located in Memorial Drive, Noble Park, is the new centre for youth support services in Noble Park, offering family counselling, group workshops and a number of youth-related programs.
Y Space has been integrated into Café Salvo on Buckley Street, Noble Park, and is a drop-in support program, allowing young people to simply stop by and have a chat about anything they want.
The two programs link up when a young person is referred from Y Space to a support service located at The Venue.
Both programs are aimed at youth aged between 12 and 25.
Noble Park councillor Pinar Yesil hoped the Y Space program at Café Salvo would disperse large gatherings of youths at nearby railway stations.
“Y Space will give the local young people a place to go, and Café Salvo is a great place to get together,” she said.