A word from our Youth Ambassador

Working as a Youth Ambassador over the last few months has been a wonderful experience and I feel privileged to work with so many inspiring people, including four other incredible youth ambassadors.

This opportunity has exposed me to a lot of the positive work happening in the area and I feel optimistic about the future of people in the Yarra Ranges, especially young people.

In my role as an ambassador, I’ve been able to share my perspectives about issues that significantly impact young people in the region and matter personally to me.

I am so passionate about Government prioritising mental health, particularly making societal changes to reduce the negative stigma associated with mental health.

I hope that young people will continue to be able to build their knowledge on how to empower each other to access assistance whenever they may require it.

I recently spoke in front of a range of health professionals and Council staff during an announcement from The Federal Government of a generous investment of $4.5 million to fund the development of an Integrated Youth Health Hub in Lilydale.

This news was extremely exciting, as the development of a Youth Health Hub will dramatically improve young people’s access to a network of professionals based in Lilydale.

This is particularly important for many young people living rurally, who may not be able to easily access support services such as counselling or mental health support.

As a Youth Ambassador, I have experienced young people living within the local community being celebrated and encouraged to have their voices heard.

During Youth Week, a range of activities focused on building the skills of young people within the Yarra Ranges. I attended a youth empowerment and mental health workshop run by Orygen, called ‘By young people for young people’.

This workshop allowed me to network with other passionate young people and discuss how to promote our rights in the workplace and strengthen youth mental health.

I am enthusiastic and confident in my generation’s ability to empower each other and make powerful differences within our community.  

I look forward to seeing those changes happen in the community and to helping bring some about myself.

Jess Whattam, Yarra Ranges Council Youth Ambassador