Ballarat's young leaders are striving to have their voices heard.
The City of Ballarat Youth Ambassador Volunteer Program will host its annual project this coming weekend, with an initiative known as 'The Event'.
'The Event' is the Youth Ambassadors' initiative to share their work with the Ballarat community, while also encouraging young people to join the push for increased youth advocacy.
The public are invited to attend 'The Event', which will be held at the Art Gallery of Ballarat from 1pm-3pm on Saturday 30 November.
There, people will gain insight into the work undertaken by the young leaders this year.
For example, Youth Ambassador Jacob Osenaris said the group raised awareness and advocated for local young people experiencing homelessness, securing almost $1000 of food voucher donations that will hopefully provide "one less thing to think about" for kids experiencing hard times.
"The Event will demonstrate the amazing efforts of young people in Ballarat and display the importance of future youth codesign and contribution within Ballarat," he said.
City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves said with about 20,000 people aged 12-25 living in Ballarat, it was crucial that they were able to have a voice.
An example of this is the City of Ballarat Youth Strategy 2022-26, which was co-designed by 11 young people from the Ballarat community, with support from the City of Ballarat Youth Services team and an external consultant.
"Young people play a massive role in the Ballarat community and they will be the group who shape and determine its future," Cr Hargreaves said.
"Our volunteer ambassadors do an incredible job in advocating on behalf of their demographic and I encourage people to come along and learn about what they have been able to achieve."
The Youth Ambassador Volunteer Program comprises of passionate, young people in and around Ballarat, aged between 12-25.
Through advocacy and education, the Youth Ambassadors work with and for the community to achieve the goal of creating a more inclusive and equal society for young people locally.
By raising awareness about issues such as youth homelessness, food insecurity, cyber bullying, gender-based violence, sustainability, and well-being, the youth ambassadors strive to bring about positive change and inspire both young people and the broader community to stand up for young people's rights.
