June E-News

In this issue

Latest News

Workshops

Courses, Programs & Activities

Outreach Program

Byron Youth Service Team

We feel so blessed with the awesome support we are receiving from this amazing community, donations coming in to our Mullumbimby Crowdfiunding project, Indiegogo (list of donors on our website), Bunnings are running a BYS Family Fun Day Fundraiser on Saturday the 6th of June, a community dinner was organised with money donated to BYS, $2000 from the Byron Bay Malibu Club (as a beneficiary of their Single Fin Long Board Competition) and beautiful artworks donated for our Art & Dinner Auction at the Sun Bistro which we hope you are able to attend!

Meanwhile we are crazily organising a New Byron Flea Market commencing on the 13th of June, an Art & Dinner Auction at The Sun Bistro on the 22nd of June and Pocket Rocket Band Competition on the 27th of June.

We are aware that there are many charities needing your support, however without your generous openheartedness the Byron Youth Activity Centre cannot survive!

$5 per month from every community member could so easily assist us to keep our programs running and meet the needs of our young people! Log on to our website www.bys.org.au to donate!

Thanks again for all your generous spirits!

From all of us @ BYS

Byron: 6685 7777

Mullum: 6684 3086

www.bys.org.au

Latest News

At the Cottage - Crowdfunding

Do it for the Cottage, Do it for the Young People, Do it for Our Future!

Indiegogo Campaign - At the Cottage

Mullum Cottage

We've had a lot of visitors at the Cottage this month with groups getting lots of useful and relevant information, meeting interesting people and being encouraged to think about life and how they can most productively and positively live it. The focus has also been on our At The Cottage crowd funding campaign and special big thanks go to Deb Cox and our champion Andrew Hall for their very generous donations.

Our gratitude also goes to the following people who have also made generous donations. (can you insert list there please Steph).

Our campaign is still running and all donations are most welcome, please help us meet our target. We would also like to thank Brook Farm for their donation of absolutely delicious Muesli and Porrij and to Bunnings who are running an event on their Byron premises Saturday 6th June, we hope to see you there, lots of fun activities, bbq and two of the Cottage girls will be singing around lunchtime.

Deb Cox paid us a visit and kept the Year 9 girls enthralled describing her life as it progressed from being a teenage girl like them to being a well known TV script writer and producer. Thanks so much to Deb.

Enjoying Brook Farm muesli and yoghurt, a big hit!

Our sessions continued with Siobhan from Intra on the subject of substance abuse and the 'drunk goggles' were extremely popular and were

a practical lesson in why people should not drive when they've been drinking.

The Year 10 girls are working with Antonia on the impact of tourism on young people and are currently learning how to do interviews and preparing their research questions.

Visits from girls from previous groups included Kalinda and Ella who have dropped in a couple of times to say hello and from Buku who has just returned from her student exchange trip to Italy, which she of course loved. She said her favourite place was Venice.

The Year 9 girls also completed their session with Tweed Valley Sexual Health. They are always fun, informative and relaxed and the participants say they learn a lot, possibly because they feel comfortable asking questions. Thanks to Larissa Smyth for making it a great experience.

My beautiful girls all helped celebrate my birthday and a lot of food was consumed, most of it of a decadent nature.

Another Year 9 girls group took a break from their emotion boxes to decorate a huge thank you card for Andrew Hall, which all the young people signed.

It's often hard to think of a way to show our gratitude and I believe it's productive for the young people to actively think of ways to show our appreciation.

Year 9 boys had a visit from Michael and Shaun from The Sanctuary that was interesting and engaging.
They were also contributors to our At The Cottage campaign and we thank them for their generosity.

Workshops

Courses - Programs - Activities

Byron Youth Service

SAFER LEARNER DRIVER COURSE

The Safer Learner Driver Course is a combined theoretical and practical Course for under 25 year-old learner drivers who have completed 50 hours of log book driving hours. The Course involves two Modules:

Module one: A three-hour facilitated group discussion on how to manage risks on the road. This will involve a maximum of twelve participants and will be delivered by a facilitator.
Module two: A two-hour in-vehicle coaching session to develop low-risk driving strategies. This will involve two participants and a coach.

Participants who complete the course will receive a bonus of 20 hours credit recorded in their learner driver log book.

COURSE NOTES:

BYS is an RMS authorised Course Provider
It is anticipated Course sessions will be run weekly in various locations throughout the Byron Shire.
The Course costs a total of $140 for both modules.
Participants may enjoy completing the Course with a friend particularly for the in-vehicle session. NOTE: individual participants will be matched with a suitable partner in Module 1.

For more information please contact:

Steffie on 6685 7777 or email info@bys.org.au

or book directly www.bys.org.au

BARISTA COURSE
Coffee image

Tuesday 16th June - 4 to 7pm

$50

Ages 15 to 24
Byron Youth Activity Centre
1 Gilmore Crescent Byron Bay

To book a place call Steffie on 6685 7777

Thank you to Byron Bay Coffee Co

for donating coffee for our courses!

BYRON YOUTH THEATRE
CHANGING LIVES THROUGH YOUTH THEATRE

Byron Youth Theatre is celebrating its successful school tour and public performance of Altered States! Funded by NORTEC Employment and Training Services and Northern Rivers Community Foundation, this powerful and emotive piece focuses on the illicit drug use of alcohol, cannabis and methamphetamine (ice).

Devised by the 11 company members and Director Lisa Apostolides, the performance was delivered in 6 different venues with accompanying workshops.

Healthy North Coast (http://healthynorthcoast.org.au/) videod the piece and interviewed cast members. A clip will be available on their website later this year.

Feedback from youth audience members was insightful with comments including:

16yr old student - I found it relatable and effective, it made me reflect on future potential drug use.
Teacher - The play showed the complex way addiction can move through families and the impact on all.
Student - I knew someone close to me who experienced this. Issues with drugs are even worse than they appear, I like how it showed how they got into using.

The public performance at the Drill Hall Mullumbimby was attended by 79 community members with all rating the production as "Excellent". The feedback was quite overwhelming with many people imploring us to find more funding to continue this important work.

During this period Director Lisa Apostolides has been approached by several young people expressing interest to join BYT.

Without pause for breath BYT are straight into preparing their well received production PASH ( Positive Adolescent Sexual Health) for the 2nd North Coast Conference of the same name. With over 17 schools attending, BYT will be delivering their performance 5 times this year over the 2 days!!

"It's been quite hectic and full on for us all" comments Lisa " I am very proud how all the Company members are not only coping with lots of extra rehearsals but giving such high quality performances. It's also really wonderful that 3 cast members from last year are taking time off HSC studies to come perform with us again this year!"

It won't be quiet for too long after PASH either as BYT have another 2 exciting projects already lined up for later this year!! Many thanks to all those who have supported us with Altered States from staff members in schools, to parents of BYT members helping at the public performance.

Director Lisa Apostolides welcomes any assistance that community members can offer and if you hear of any fantastic grants we can apply for and all other enquiries please contact her.

byronyouththeatre2481@gmail.com