A Youth Advisory Panel was inaugurated at the Somersby School of Arts Hall on the 13th of November 2015. The first panel consisted of Sarah Green, Leilani Healey, Ramani Keir and Michaela Mackay as the current Mountain Districts Young Ambassadors, and participants in the 2014 Mountain Summit.
“Mountain Summit” was held at Gosford City Council Chamber in 2014, with delegates from Central Mangrove, Somersby and Kulnura Public Schools.
Seated: Neil Berecry-Brown, Mayor Lawrie McKinna, Chair, Alexandra Sidiropolous, Linda Burney, Shadow Minister for the Central Coast, Hillary Morris, Gosford City Councillor
Claire Berecry-Brown plays "Home on the Range" at the Country fair
The Youth Advisory Panel, organised by LocoLocus Inc., was established to build on the great contributions made at the Summit in identifying immediate local concerns and recommending solutions. It was planned that YAP, the Youth Advisory Panel, would have on ongoing role in contributing to discussions about our future.
A great start was made by the panel in setting an agenda and defining objectives. Decisions were made on the age range of panel members, frequency and place of meetings, meeting procedures and topics for workshops (Social Media, Leadership, Decision Making and Organising)
Arrangements were set in motion for meetings with Gosford City Councillors and local members of the State Government who supported the project and agreed to help. These plans had to be dropped with the calling of elections, and then the abolition of Gosford Council.
YAP is currently on hold. It will be revisited once the New Central Coast Council is elected.
History: The Young Ambassador program was first organised, and run successfully, through the Mangrove Mountain Districts Country Fair. Following a change in the Fair’s committee, and subsequent reduced interest in the program, the management of the program was taken on by the local branch of the NSW Farmers Association. However due to changes in its executive, and shelving of most of the branch’s activities, the Young Ambassador Program was migrated to Mountain Districts Association (MDA) and combined with a new initiative the Mountain Summit.
Although very successful, the Young Ambassador and Mountain Summit program was dropped by MDA following a change in its executive.
Background: The Mangrove Mountain Districts Young Ambassador was selected through a process designed to find an outstanding young member of The Mountain community to play an important role in representing the district to others. They received a monetary prize in recognition of their achievement, together with an opportunity to nominate a charity to which an equal amount was donated.
Back - Neil Berecry-Brown, then Country Fair president, Deborah O'Neill, then Federal Member for Robertson. Front - Leilani Healey, Sarah Green, Holly Zylman, Michaela Mackay.
Amelia Shearer and Peter FitzSimons
Funds for the Young Ambassador prize and charity donation were made available through the generous support of members of the community, and were intended to provide opportunities and incentive for the chosen Young Ambassador to build on the qualities and abilities they had demonstrated.
In 2009 the Guest Presenter of the Young Ambassador Program was Peter FitzSimons. In keeping with Peter’s literary achievements as a biographer, the topic for writing in 2009 was “Local Inspirational Identity” i.e. someone from the Mountain Districts who displayed “Mountain character” and who had been an inspiration to others. The Young Ambassador chosen that year was Amelia Shearer.