Innovative spin-offs from CHOGM

A Notre Dame University student from Broome who attended the Commonwealth Youth Forum last month as part of the 2011 CHOGM said the experience had prompted her to start two innovative projects to support local youth.

Rhianon Hutcheson, 19, was one of five WA representatives among 30 young people from across Australia, chosen to represent the nation’s youth.

The forum provided young people with an opportunity to address current issues facing their community and put forward solutions. Ms Hutcheson said she found the experience “exceptional and rewarding,” and said she had the opportunity to discuss similar issues and concerns with other representatives.

Ms Hutcheson said the primary focus for her group had been on Aboriginal health and suicide.

The group presented a communique which included concepts on “peer to peer” education, mental health and culturally appropriate health care.

The group also identified ways to empower local youth through financial support.

“We recommended setting up a community youth development fund,” she said. “It would be for people to have access to funds to get projects up and running.”

Ms Hutcheson said the idea was inspired by local youth-driven organisations and the way they had successfully engaged with youth.

“Projects like Alive and Kicking were developed by young people for young people,” she said.

Since returning to Broome, the nursing student said she had been lobbying government bodies, such as the Broome Shire, to get behind the project.

Ms Hutcheson said she was also speaking with Broome Shire president Graeme Campbell about forming a youth advisory council.