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Market to help link youth and support

Youth Links workers Dashnie Dealey, Hung Truong, with Noble Park RSL president Gordon Murray and fellow Youth Links workers Lauren Duiker and Fraces Butare, Youth Links workers Dashnie Dealey, Hung Truong, with Noble Park RSL president Gordon Murray and fellow Youth Links workers Lauren Duiker and Fraces Butare,

By Shaun Inguanzo
NOBLE Park RSL will host a monthly town market in a bid to help raise funds for homeless and disadvantaged young people in the area.
The first Noble Park Market will be held on Sunday 30 March from 9am to 2pm.
The RSL sub-branch is working with Youth Links, the youth-focused sub-group of the Springvale Community Aid and Advice Bureau, to organise the monthly market, which will be held in the RSL’s carpark on the last Sunday of each month.
Stallholders will pay a fee of about $15, according to Noble Park RSL president Gordon Murray.
He said the money would go towards Youth Links, which would then use the funds to take groups of youths on recreational trips, or to pay for incidental items such as a suit for a young person to wear to a job interview.
“The money will be going to the underprivileged kids in Noble Park,” Mr Murray said.
“They might want to start a sports team, so where are they going to get the money for boots or jumpers? Through the market.”
Mr Murray said the RSL had already raised some funds from its own members – a total of $1500 that would go entirely to Youth Links.
He said the funds may also help students afford study fees.
The market will contain bric-a-brac, fresh produce, and food stalls, one maintained by the local Country Women’s Association branch.
Youth Links program manager Amanda Barker said the group had been running for 10 years and during that time had helped young people on the brink of homelessness to find employment and turn their lives around.
“The money raised gives us the opportunity to provide practical support to young people who can’t normally do certain things,” she said.
“For example, some may never have an opportunity to go to a footy game, so we might take them to watch a game and meet the players.
“There might also be an individual who has had a tough time, has not enough income and might need help getting a suit for job interview.”
Ms Barker said many of the people Youth Links had helped were not to blame for their poor circumstances.
“We will be using the money to assist a young person to do something life-changing,” she said.
“Not to buy Playstation, but things that people take for granted each day.”

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