After more than 20 years of trying to make it a reality, Southern Highlands PCYC celebrated its fifth anniversary.
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With COVID restrictions in place, representatives from Wingecarribee Shire Council, Wollondilly Shire Council, Hume Police District, board members, staff and the CEO of the PCYC Dominic Teakle came together to celebrate.
Club manager Krishan Keller said he was excited for the next five years.
"I'd like to thank everyone who has come here today, it's a very big moment. Five years for us, 20 years in the making," he said.
"I came in as a manager to the club 18 months after it started and to see where we were and where we are now, I'm really quite proud of what we were able to achieve."
"It's been amazing five years at this club."
Mr Keller said the club had achieved multiple milestones in the past five years which included:
Three hundred kids in the Safer Driver Program. Courses went from one course every eight weeks to two courses a month.
The club also went from 200 kids in the holiday program to 600 kids. It has also meant that over the last five years more than 7500 kids pass through its holiday program and more than 5000 in the gymnastics program.
Mr Keller said the PCYC consistently engaged with the community.
"I haven't done it by myself and that's the big thing as well. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Rob Moran [Wollondilly Shire Council community projects and events team leader] who did the initial paperwork to get us here," he said.
"We've had amazing support from Larry Whipper and Simon Taufel who have been my sounding board when I've pitched ideas.
"I'd like to thank Wingecarribee Shire Council and Wollondilly Shire Council for their support. We wouldn't be anywhere without their support who have funded many police programs and holiday programs."
Mr Keller was also grateful for the support from Rob Consulting and Construction and Mittagong RSL as well as community partnerships with OzHarvest and Dignity.
"Rob Consulting and Construction has funded our Fit For Life program every year. He consistently comes in every year and provides a donation. Mittagong RSL has donated close to $20,000 over five years for Safer Driver, Fit For Life for Summer Soccer for a whole range of things," he said.
"Our biggest benefactor has been the Bushwalk Foundation who donated $65,000 from the start."
Mr Keller also thanked the Hume Police District and the Youth Case Managers who have supported the Fit for Life program.
"Having two great YCM's from the beginning, Matt Davenport and David Steward, their support from the beginning has been unparalleled. Chief Inspector Klepczerak from the local PD attended personally when we started the Fit for Life program and has consistently provided an officer for those programs," he said.
"We've run roughly 15 police programs with roughly 150 participants and some of the statistics we've had from those programs have been fantastic.
"It shows our effectiveness and engagement is starting to have an impact.
"I'm excited for the next five years to come."
Chair of the Southern Highlands PCYC Larry Whipper acknowledged the hard work that went into the PCYC.
"I'd like to acknowledge everybody that is here today," he said.
"Five years ago we started with a lot of fanfare after 20 years of trying very hard instil PCYC into the Wingecarribee area and make it a reality."
Sargent David Stewart began his role as a YCM at PCYC in 2016.
"It's a very unique role in the police, there isn't anything else like it, we work with young offenders for up to 12 months, sometimes more than that, where we do intense case management with them," he said.
"It's educating them, mentoring them and guiding them in a way that leads them away from the path they may have been on and redirect them to a better one.
It's a privileged role to be in because you have the capabilities to change someone's life. It's a huge responsibility.
"You don't know the impact you'll have on their lives."
The Fit For Life Program is an early intervention program with the police and PCYC which runs two days a week and starts at 7 am.
Mr Keller said the program involves an early morning fitness program and provides food.
"It doesn't just stop there, we constantly engage with them and break the ice at the start.
"The idea is to get a good early start to the day and then divert them to targeted programs as well that we run.
"It's about engaging them early, getting them active in life and find out, hopefully, what the other issues are that got them referred to us in the first place and then we can start to work with them and mentor them and help them get their life back on track and give them some goals and direction."
PCYC also has a freezer full of food for people who are struggling.
"We have the Dignity freezer and the OzHarvest food and we can provide them with lunch or dinner as well,"
"At the moment it's becoming a bit more of a need in this community.
"Dignity is run by volunteers and commercial chefs who make meals and freeze them and drop them off here.
"We can be given upwards of 450 meals are fortnight to distribute. Anyone can come between 12 pm - 8 pm, Monday to Friday."
Southern Highlands PCYC is located at 6 Hawkins Drive, Mittagong.
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Vera Demertzis
Journalist at the Southern Highland News covering council yarns and community news. Got a tip or a story to tell? Email vera.demertzis@southernhighlandnews.com.au or call on 0427 250 908.
Journalist at the Southern Highland News covering council yarns and community news. Got a tip or a story to tell? Email vera.demertzis@southernhighlandnews.com.au or call on 0427 250 908.
