COMMUNITY

WWITH the return of the school term, the Ku-ring-gai council has opened the doors of its youth hubs once again. Both hubs — St Ives and Gordon locations — provide many activities for children aged 12–18, perfect for teens looking for some afternoon entertainment after school or TAFE!

Gordon Youth Hub is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 pm to 8 pm. Located in the old school building next to Gordon Library, the hub offers Foosball, table tennis, Nintendo Switch, computers, music, TVs, and Netflix. The youth hub offers a safe space for people to hang out and enjoy free activities.

The St Ives youth hub offers many of the same activities and facilities as the Gordon location. It has also recently been redone with new floors, furniture and equipment added last year.

Both hubs provide free recreational activities and other support for young people and are staffed by professional youth workers. These activities include special events focused on community involvement and youth development. For example, last November, St Ives Youth Hub held an event for young people to meet local police officers and discuss their roles over a free burger and juice! Similarly, Gordon Youth Hub regularly works in collaboration with Gordon Library to provide study sessions and free coffee and snacks for local Year 12 students.

St Ives Youth Hub will partner with Ku-ring-gai Youth Development Service (KYDS). This will provide local children with free access to mental health services. Mayor Jeff Pettett had this to say:

“This will be a free and confidential service to our young residents who may be experiencing problems at school or home and feel they need extra support.”

KYDS provides aid to teens as well as their parents and carers via mental health support. They have been operating in the Ku-ring-gai area for over 15 years, tackling stigmas surrounding mental health. Over the past year, KYDS has provided counselling for over 400 young people.

Issues such as suicidal thoughts, break-ups, addictions, body image, grief, loss, study stress and family breakdowns are some areas in which KYDS can provide support. This support takes shape in many forms, including personalised counselling, family counselling, early intervention workshops and information events. KYDS also offers free online resources for parents and teens.

In addition to donations by local businesses and community groups, KYDS also receives Local, State and Federal funding, according to their 2021/2022 annual report

RUNNING every Thursday evening between February and April, Library Up Late will host a series of engaging chats with authors. Each event will run between 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm. Spaces are limited, so be sure to book a space ahead of time. Next week, Debra Keenahan will lead the evening, discussing her latest piece, Othering — a text influenced by her experience as a person with achondroplasia dwarfism. In addition to being an author, Keenahan is also an artist, human rights academic and psychologist.

Professor Raina MacIntyre is also set to be in attendance. Professor MacIntyre, who won the Eureka Prize for Leadership in Innovation and Science last year, is recognised for her work throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Professor MacIntyre will be discussing her newest release, Dark Winter. This text examines natural and manmade pandemics and human responses to them.

Dr Hugh MacKay will also present. Dr Mackay, a social researcher and columnist with a career spanning over 60 years, is also a best-selling author. With an impressive collection of 22 fiction and non-fiction titles, Dr Mackay will be discussing his newest book, The Therapist, and his relationship with fic- tion and non-fiction writing.

Writer, director, and performer Eliza Reilly will be discussing the impactful women of Australia’s history — whose names you might never have heard before. Reilly will also be discussing her latest book, Sheilas, a humorous and informative piece about Australia’s most notable, forgotten women.

Library Up Late will also be hosting “The New Crime Wave”, a panel discussion between crime authors Hayley Scrivenor, Benjamin Stephenson and Fiona Kelly McGregor. Science author Ivy Shih will also speak on communication in science and the impacts of misinformation. Additionally, Michelle Cahill will discuss Australian-Asian contemporary literature and her contribution to the HSC syllabus — a great event for Year 12 students.

For full details of all the talks and to reserve a seat, head to: krg.nsw.gov.au/libraryuplate