Teenagers and tweens can soon come to Bowral to chill out, make new friends, play games and access support and therapy services at The Loading Zone.
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The space on Station Street can support children with a disability, anxiety, those who struggle at school or have difficulty socialising.
The Loading Zone is an area where they can calm down and connect with others.
Camps with the games Dungeons and Dragons, Roadblock and Minecraft are being planned for these school holidays, and literacy support programs are being on the cards for early next year.
"We are not targeting at any particular issue, need or diagnosis, it's more to come here," co-founder Margie Tully said.
"Sometimes kids find mainstream services and sporting services hard to access."
The Loading Zone officially opened on November 26 for Highlanders to have a look at.
"The kids loved it, it was busy, it was well-received," she said.
Mrs Tully said the idea for The Loading Zone came from having teenagers, but also feedback she received from the community.
"[It was] a bit of a reaction to the community had been saying, a tough situation," she said.
"[There were] comments and suggestions that this was a real age group that we leave behind and [that] miss out on services."
The service is affiliated but a separate entity from the NDIS provider Auscare.
Service providers like speech pathologists, occupational therapists, psychologists and social workers will have the opportunity to rent the spaces.
The Loading Zone has six rooms of different sizes where teenagers and tweens can relax.
They contain minimal amounts of sensory equipment, beanbags, and wall art.
Mrs Tully said all of the rooms have have little inside them so kids can move furniture around and adapt the spaces to their needs.
The co-founder said it also gave providers the opportunity to tailor the space for their practice and for the needs of their young clients.
Future programs that children will benefit from include remote school support, and opportunities to reconnect with schooling.
Mrs Tully said there were a number of reasons why a child might be disengaged from their studies such as distrust in teachers and students and negative experiences in the classroom.
The Loading Zone will also help children with their organisational skills.
It is currently not wheelchair accessible but this in the process of being resolved.
Highlanders can book to access these services, prices are yet to be confirmed.
The organisation was founded by Mrs Tully, Max King and Emma Gill.
You can keep up-to-date with The Loading Zone by following the Facebook page.
You can also call 0448 771 684 or email info@theloadingzone.com.au.
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Briannah Devlin
I like to write about arts, entertainment, any local reality tv leads, and property for the Southern Highland News and Goulburn Post, but also report on everything in between. If you have any tips, please send them to Briannah.Devlin@austcommunitymedia.com.au, or call 0439142204.
I like to write about arts, entertainment, any local reality tv leads, and property for the Southern Highland News and Goulburn Post, but also report on everything in between. If you have any tips, please send them to Briannah.Devlin@austcommunitymedia.com.au, or call 0439142204.
