A youth-driven project has taken out a state-based award at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.
The Free Youth Pool Entry Pilot program was driven by young people seeking a safe, affordable and accessible place to meet and socialise in Red Cliffs.
It prompted a collaborative youth-led push by Hands Up Mallee, Mildura Rural City Council and Aligned Leisure to come up with a solution.
The program provided free access to the Red Cliffs Swimming Pool for young people 17 and under, and included activities and events for young people during the school holidays.
It led to a significant and sustained increase in community usage of the Red Cliffs Swimming Pool, at times spiking to more than 3,000 visitors in just one month, and has since been successfully trialled in Merbein.
The project has just taken out the VIC/TAS Community Based Initiative of the Year Award at the 2024 Parks and Leisure Australia Awards for Excellence.
Mildura Mayor Liam Wood, who was heavily involved from the start, said the breakthrough project was a community success story.
Image: https://pixabay.com/photos/swimming-pool-water-blue-pool-504780/
