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Surf’s Up at Ceduna Youth Hub

14 March 2019
Children and Schooling
Two Aboriginal youth in wet suits surf side by side. In the background are waves on an ocean and behind that, a cliff face.

Find out how the Ceduna Youth Hub is connecting young people with education, employment, health and personal support services and surfing.

The surf’s up on the west coast of South Australia and both locals and visitors at the Ceduna Youth Hub are taking advantage of it.

As many as 25 young people attended each trip to the beach according to Peter Jericho, the Hub coordinator.

‘Most of the young people had never surfed before and we tried to take as many different kids each time as we could to give everyone a go,’ Mr Jericho said.

‘By the end of the holidays most kids had been a couple times each and there was some real talent starting to show through with the Surf School Coordinator Andy Joy being very impressed considering the beginner level of most young people.’

However, it’s not all trips to the beach – the Youth Hub’s core role is to connect people aged 8 to 25 with education, employment, health and personal support services. It also provides opportunities to participate positively in the community.

Mr Jericho said a Youth Mentor training program had developed the skills and job readiness of a number of unemployed or under employed young people, leading to sustainable job opportunities for many participants.

The Hub has operated since 2012 and attracts Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal youth from Ceduna and surrounding areas, including communities like Yalata near the WA border.

On most days during school term there are 25 to 30 youth at the Hub, which increases to 40 to 45 during school holidays. Vacationing youth from as far away as Port Lincoln, Port Augusta and Adelaide add to the fun, with a total as high as 70 on some occasions.

The Hub gets involved in community projects like the redevelopment of the Ceduna Skate Park, where it worked side by side with the District Council and two local schools.

The Hub also hosts local and state based services which deliver health and wellbeing programs as well as education and awareness sessions on topics affecting youth.

Importantly, the Hub enables young people to make friends and switch off from the problems of life for a short time.

The new partnership with the Sceale Bay Surf School and the funding received from Surfing Australia, is not only connecting young Aboriginal people to surfing, but also to other youth.

So next time you’re passing through Ceduna, make a friend at Ceduna Youth Hub.

Find out more

The Ceduna Youth Hub is supported by two Australian Government initiatives: the Remote Australia Strategies Programme and the Children and Schooling Programme.