Rockingham Youth Centre secures PLAWA excellence award

The Rockingham Youth Centre (RYC) has secured the Community Facility of the Year Award at the 2022 Parks and Leisure Australia Western Australia (PLAWA) Awards of Excellence.

PLAWA is a leading industry association for people and organisations working in the parks and leisure sector in Western Australia.

The awards recognise and celebrate the outstanding initiatives and innovative efforts of 'the people behind the places' that promote good use of leisure time for a number of social, environmental and economic benefits to the community.

The RYC will now be entered in the national PLA awards to be held in October 2022.

The RYC is located on MacKinnon Street in Rockingham and is open to young people aged 12 – 24. It provides opportunities for them to engage with a wealth of programs and initiatives in a safe environment.  

The Community Facility of the Year Award recognises the RYC’s innovative features in design, development and operation.

City of Rockingham Mayor Deb Hamblin thanked PLAWA for recognising the City’s extensive efforts when it came to developing and running the RYC.

Mayor Hamblin notes “the City’s Children and Young People Strategy 2018 – 2023 identified the need for a dedicated youth centre, which was then delivered through our Community Infrastructure Plan.

“The RYC was opened in March 2021 and the City’s vision for the design of the centre was achieved in close collaboration with local young people, particularly the Rockingham Youth Reference Group.

“Involving young people in the design process was crucial as the City wanted them to have a real connection with the facility. The RYC promotes diversity and inclusion, and the purpose-built nature of the facility means it is well positioned to cater for the needs of young people.

“Importantly, feedback from young people has shown that the RYC fosters a strong level of community pride, with members reporting that they love visiting the space.

“We thank PLAWA for the award and also acknowledge the stakeholders that played a role in developing the RYC including Lotterywest, Site Architecture Studio, Successful Projects and LKS Constructions.”       

Image: City of Rockingham Chief Executive Michael Parker, Mayor Deb Hamblin, City of Rockingham Manager Community Capacity Building Paul Hayward, and Parks and Leisure Australia WA Councillor Adrian Fisher. Courtesy Benara Nursery, PLAWA Awards of Excellence photographic sponsor.