The mayor of the Goulburn Youth Council has urged the community to prioritise mental health.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The 16-year old mayor Charlotte Hargan said over recent years there had been "a rising awareness about mental health".
"That's something we really need to support our young people with because they are the most vulnerable," she said.
"We really need to work on [mental health] as a community - breaking down the stigma and supporting young people."
The Goulburn Mulwaree Youth Council is a group of students, who come together on a regular basis to discuss and put together action plans to improve the Goulburn community. The youth council focuses on participation and inclusion, and aims to promote a youth voice on council events and developments within the town.
Charlotte first joined the initiative because it was "a bit of a family thing".
She said volunteering ran in her family but she had stayed "because we are doing good things in the community".
Charlotte said there was often a complaint among young people that "there's nothing to do".
She said the main issue was young people needed motivation.
"We put on all these events and provide facilities but [at the moment] it's more about encouraging young people to actually use them.
"I've been told 'back in the day' kids used to go play cricket and go outside - we're locked in our homes watching Netflix and on social media".
Charlotte said engaging young people, getting them out of their houses, off their phones and actually doing something was a very difficult thing to do.
The youth council is currently planning for the NSW Youth Conference next year where groups from around the state come together to discuss issues in their local communities.
While you're with us...
Did you know the Goulburn Post is now offering breaking news alerts and a weekly email newsletter? Keep up-to-date with all the local news: sign up here.
