Menindee and Wilcannia are set to get just over $200,000 in PCYC programs after the promise of extra government funding but neither town will get a PCYC centre in this round.
PCYC centres have proven to be highly effective in every community they operate in, helping bring the youth of communities together and providing successful mentoring schemes, but neither Wilcannia or Menindee have one.
Deputy premier and Nationals’ leader, Paul Toole, announced the local funding pledge on a visit to Broken Hill this last week where he promised a whole swag of funding across the region for varied projects.
“Across the state, I see what the PCYC delivers,” said Mr Toole.
“They are running food programs. They are running fit-for-life programs, and these are invaluable to our young people.
“Those programs are running in Broken Hill and the $212,000 will extend them to Wilcannia and Menindee.”
PCYC CEO Dominic Teakle said, “getting out to these remote communities is critical. They don’t have the facilities and infrastructure, but our team will go out there and deliver these programs.”
PCYC Broken Hill Manager, Ebony Johnson, said, “a big thank you for the funding. It’s a fundamental part of how we can run these programs and it just helps us to deliver programs in other locations that we wouldn’t necessarily be able to without it. So, as it stands on our name, we are life changing and that’s all we’re here for.”
The money is set to come from the current NSW government’s $660 million Stronger Country Communities Fund.
