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Gunbalanya all go for Youth Week

27 April 2015

SOFA SO GOOD: Defending champions the Gunbalanya crew in the couch surfing race,held outside Parliament House in Darwin. SOFA SO GOOD: Defending champions the Gunbalanya crew in the couch surfing race,held outside Parliament House in Darwin.

THE Gunbalanya crew were back in Darwin on Wednesday 15 April, participating in a couch surfing race for Youth Week.

Sixteen registered teams decorated couches and battled it out at the annual Couch Surfing Races. The Gunbalanya boys, who won the race last year, didn’t take out the chequered flag this time around – but they did raise awareness around youth homelessness, and had a lot of fun along the way.

Anglicare NT held the event in the Parliament House car park.  The event was held on National Youth Homelessness Matters Day, an annual day started by a group of social advocates who reckon too many young people are moving out of home with nowhere to go. The day has since grown into a national celebration of young people’s resilience.

Anglicare NT Youth Diversion Officer Tricia Maling, who works with young people in Gunbalanya and Jabiru, said the day was a positive one for the Gunbalanya boys, and gave them a chance to get involved in all the activities during Youth Week in Darwin. Tricia’s work with Anglicare assists youngsters who have been diverted away from the court system.

“I work with a group of young men and three supervisors from the West Arnhem Regional Council,” Tricia told TEABBA Radio. “West Arnhem Regional Council has got a youth drop-in centre (in Gunbalanya) and also youth programs.”

She said it was the fourth year in a row that Anglicare had participated in the couch surfing race.

“It’s all about highlighting youth homelessness, because we’ve got a fair few young people living on our streets.”

Minister for Young Territorians Peter Styles said young people needed the services to support them when experiencing tough times in their lives.

“Homelessness is an important issue, it is not just about rough sleeping, many young people experience homelessness by couch surfing or living in severely overcrowded conditions,” Mr Styles said. 

The Gunbalanya boys with Minister for Young Territorians Peter Styles on Youth Homelessness Matters Day. The Gunbalanya boys with Minister for Young Territorians Peter Styles on Youth Homelessness Matters Day.