After listening to the young people in the Nambucca Valley Youth Council (NVYC), one thing became clear — they wanted a youth space they could truly call their own. A safe, welcoming place to eat, connect with others, and take part in workshops and activities designed for young people.
Right now, young people in Macksville don’t have a consistent space dedicated to them. Most community venues weren’t designed with young people in mind, and that alone can make it harder for them to engage — especially for those experiencing disadvantage, feeling disconnected, or who may have had negative experiences with formal services. Creating a youth hub helps remove that barrier by providing a space where young people feel comfortable, included, and heard.
As the official youth advisory body to Nambucca Valley Council, NVYC presented the idea of using the Macksville Senior Citizens Hall to Council as a 10-week pilot program. The goal was to better understand the need for a dedicated youth hub in the community.
Since launching April 22nd, the Youth Hub has seen steady interest, with new young people attending each week alongside many regular faces returning. We are now over halfway through the pilot, and workshops requested by the young people themselves have already been booked in. These include art workshops, practical life skills sessions such as changing tyres and oil, and even Dungeons & Dragons sessions, with other community members offering there services.
While the Senior Citizens Hall has traditionally been a space for older residents, a recent intergenerational event hosted by NVYC showed the venue could successfully bring different age groups together. The space has the potential to become a genuinely shared community hub, offering activities and events for all ages. NVYC is already exploring opportunities for another intergenerational catch-up — hopefully hosted at the Youth Hub itself.
This shared-space approach not only increases participation across generations, but also helps reduce stigma, strengthen community connections, and build wider support for youth engagement in the Nambucca Valley.
