National Youth Week 2015

Our National Youth Week event for 2015 was held in Pemberton. There was a large array of entertainment for everyone to enjoy such as Sumo suits, bouncy castles, Zorb balls, circus workshops, dunk tank, ninja challenge and bungee jousting. Pizza and burgers were provided free of charge, and the Pemberton Rescue Service came down and showed everyone how they cut people out of cars after an accident. Over 120 young people came to enjoy the day along with many families from as far afield as Walpole and Bunbury.

"This year's local festival gives youth from across the Shire the opportunity to express themselves and showcase their talents, and will feature a range of activities that promote and raise awareness of good health and good times, without the use of drugs," said Shire President Wade DeCampo.

The Local Drug Action Group in conjunction with the Shire of Manjimup Alcohol Management Project manned a chocolate wheel where kids could answer questions (and be educated) around alcohol and other drugs for prizes. Pop quizzes around the grounds about alcohol and other drugs gave youth a chance to win prize bags. Quiz cards were filled in with answers being sourced from the Drug Aware posters and Chocolate Wheel questions in the hope of winning a $50 I Tunes voucher.

Cr DeCampo, a strong advocate for the prevention and elimination of drug use in the community, explained "the take-home message for youth is that you can get your heart racing, have a good laugh and enjoy time with your mates, and still be looking after your health by saying no to drugs."

"The youth from each of our youth zones are involved in the organisation of the event, and by promoting the message 'It starts with us', they're setting a great example of how important it is to look out for one another," said Cr DeCampo.