Funding cut devastates busy hub where youths come for the necessities and so much more

Harley Goodes cried when she heard the Latrobe Youth Space in Morwell was set to close at the end of the year. 

The 21-year-old, who said her family fell under the poverty line, said she had been using the space for over a year for necessities such as washing her clothes.

“I get my clothes washed and dried here, we have a washing machine but can’t afford a dryer and the weather is always bad,” Ms Goodes said.

But in this year’s state budget, the government didn’t extend its funding for the space, which is due to run out in January next year.

The space provides services for young people as well as activities, and is the only permanent “youth-led”, adult-guided youth space in eastern Victoria.

“We have a shower at youth space, which is amazing,” Ms Goodes said.

“There are no free showers explicitly for young people to use, except for here.”

Opportunities over obstacles

More than 500 young people have used the space since it opened, including more than 240 in the past two months.

Kurnai College Year 7 student Trey Merlo said the place was important for him and other young people in the valley.

“I feel like sometimes the youth are bored, they go out and get themselves into trouble,” Trey said.

While Trey said he had a supportive home, he said that was not the case for most young people who came to the space.

“Morwell has its challenges,” he said.

“I felt shocked because I thought this place was doing well, you’d have at least 10 participants come here every day.”

‘Safe haven’ for young people

Latrobe Youth Space interim operations manager Maree May said some participants had come to them from an incredibly traumatic background.

“We’ve got young homeless people because of family violence in the home,” she said.

“We’ve got young people that have experienced sexual abuse.

“We’ve got young people that have been the victim of serious assault and bullying issues.”

Ms May said they came because they knew it was a safe place.

“Just by them being able to make a connection here means that we can have those conversations and then we can link them into the appropriate aftercare and follow up,” she said.

She said some of the young people had been caring for their parents all their lives but were too afraid to reach out for support for fear of child protection removing them.

“Some of these young people we’ve got, we’ve linked them to Centrelink, because they’re carers for parents with mental health issues,” Ms May said.

Gippsland Youth Services program coordinator Paul Bernthal said the space was not welfare based but the work it did was no different.

“We’re preventing them from being involved in things that could otherwise lead them down a different pathway, people here really care about their welfare,” Mr Bernthal said.

He said there was a great element of compassion and empathy offered to comfort youth.

“Take that away, then where do they go? Who do they talk to? And what actions occur as a result? Does anything change?” Mr Bernthal said.

Future in limbo

Ms Goodes said staff at the space helped her get into youth consultancy and she had started working at a library.

“I hope to build some sort of career around creating safe spaces for young people, especially spaces that help them meet their basic needs, food, shelter, clothing,” she said.

Ms Goodes said youths from the space would be voicing their concerns about its potential closure.

“If it gets to that, I know there’s definitely kids ready and raring to go,” she said.

A Victorian government spokesperson said it was working with the youth space to explore other funding opportunities for 2024.