The Andrews Labor Government is working with grassroots organisations to give young people more opportunities to connect with their communities through the new Youth Engagement Grants.<\/p>\n
Member for Dandenong, Gabrielle Williams, today announced that African Women\u2019s and Families Network and Cleeland United Soccer Club Incorporated would be two of the 19 organisations have been selected to develop initiatives to empower and support young people in their communities.<\/p>\n
African Women\u2019s and Families Network will use sport and other activities to engage young African-Australian women to aid them in building connections to their peers and the community, as well as building resilience.<\/p>\n
Cleeland United will provide a safe place for young, newly arrived migrants and their families in Dandenong, and provide opportunities to connect with others through a homework club as well as Zumba and soccer programs.<\/p>\n
The Youth Engagement Grants will provide $1.7 million in funding over two grant rounds, with up to $50,000 per grant for small multicultural and Aboriginal clubs and community organisations to support young people aged 8 – 24 years.<\/p>\n
The grants help address the root causes of crime, giving communities the ability to intervene early, helping teenagers build positive lives for themselves.<\/p>\n
Social isolation has been raised by young people through the Andrews Labor Government\u2019s Empowering Communities program, through which local communities build crime prevention projects.<\/p>\n
Community empowerment and partnerships are a key focus of the government\u2019s Crime Prevention Strategy, which recognises that each community has the expertise, knowledge and ideas to design solutions that are right for them.<\/p>\n
Investment in the Youth Engagement grants is part of a broader $30 million investment from the 2020-21 and 2021-22 State Budgets to deliver the Victorian Government\u2019s Crime Prevention Strategy.<\/p>\n