Keeping Glebe youth off the streets

The City of Sydney has granted $75,000 to continue the Glebe Youth Centre’s After Dark program.

After Dark is a youth drop in service that operates on Friday and Saturday nights at the Peter Forsyth Auditorium near Broadway Shopping Centre.

Senior Constable Sam Donni, who cases manages young offenders at the Police and Community Youth Club (PCYC), says the heart of Glebe needs a place where children can go – and that is what the Youth Centre provides.

“We need as many services as possible to help the kids. The PCYC is more about outreach and the Youth Centre is based at the centre … without the Youth Centre, there would be more crime,” he says.

Local resident, Anne White, 44, says the After Dark program keeps the local kids off the streets at night and mothers like her can be sure there kids are safe.

“If the kids aren’t at the centre they hang on the street and become a target for the police to arrest them. Without After Dark, most of the kids would be locked up,” Ms White says.

Leichhardt councillor and coordinator of the Youth Centre, Darcy Byrne, welcomed the City of Sydney’s decision to provide the extra money for the program and a case worker; until their long-term funding application is assessed.

“There are many young people in Glebe who have very challenging lives and it is everyone’s responsibility to help change that … After Dark is an effective crime prevention program that helps the city to meet its crime prevention responsibilities in Glebe,” he says.

“Part of my role as coordinator is to bring new funding and resources into the service.

“To create real change for young people in Glebe we need more support from local, state and federal governments as well as the local community.”

Local resident, Mecca Tighe, 33, who also uses the service, says the After Dark program helps keep kids out of trouble but the facilities at the Youth Centre are out-of-date.

She also thinks the Youth Centre should provide educational excursions and camps for the children.

“A lot of children in the area are on curfews. The Youth Centre should get permission from the police to allow the kids on curfews to come to the After Dark program,” she says.

Council will assess the Youth Centre’s long-term funding application in October.

By Laura Cathery