Youth club unable to maintain program
The officer in charge at the Launceston PCYC, Senior Constable Ross McIvor, said the plug was pulled on Step Up after the program co-ordinator was made redundant. Picture: PAUL SCAMBLER
FINANCIAL pressures have forced the Launceston Police and Citizens Youth Club to cancel a fitness program targeted at disadvantaged, at-risk and migrant youths.
Young people participating in the Step Up program - which has been running at the club twice a week for about 12 months - were told it would be cancelled late last year.
The program had been s scheduled to restart on Tuesday.
The officer in charge at the Launceston PCYC, Senior Constable Ross McIvor, said the plug was pulled on Step Up after the program co-ordinator was made redundant.
``The worker running the program was hired under a grant that covered his wages,'' Senior Constable McIvor said.
``When the grant started to run out, we looked at alternative sources of funding to keep him employed, but unfortunately it wasn't possible.''
Senior Constable McIvor said that despite the cancellation, the PCYC remained committed to offering young people the opportunity to participate in affordable and engaging activities.
``Young people are certainly at the heart of our focus,'' he said.
``But for the time being they will just need to be a little bit patient while we reassess our commitments in terms of the programs we offer.''
Senior Constable McIvor said the club needed to focus on delivering programs that were financially viable.
He said he would like to have something similar to Step Up re-established in the future.
``There's going to be at least a six-month gap,'' he said.
``But I'd like to have something up and running in the second half of the year. To do that, however, I'll need to look for someone to carry on the program in a voluntary capacity.''
The officer in charge at the Launceston PCYC, Senior Constable Ross McIvor, said the plug was pulled on Step Up after the program co-ordinator was made redundant. Picture: PAUL SCAMBLER