Free Entertainment and Services for Ku-ring-gai’s Teens

St Ives and Gordon Youth Hubs have re-opened - and they're offering free entertainment for teens!

With the return of the school term, the Ku-ring-gai council has opened the doors of its youth hubs once again. Both hubs — St Ives and Gordon locations — provide many activities for children aged 12–18, perfect for teens looking for some afternoon entertainment after school or TAFE!

Gordon Youth Hub is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 pm to 8 pm. Located in the old school building next to Gordon Library, the hub offers Foosball, table tennis, Nintendo Switch, computers, music, TVs, and Netflix. The youth hub offers a safe space for people to hang out and enjoy free activities.

The St Ives youth hub offers many of the same activities and facilities as the Gordon location. It has also recently been redone with new floors, furniture and equipment added last year.

Both hubs provide free recreational activities and other support for young people and are staffed by professional youth workers. These activities include special events focused on community involvement and youth development. For example, last November, St Ives Youth Hub held an event for young people to meet local police officers and discuss their roles over a free burger and juice! Similarly, Gordon Youth Hub regularly works in collaboration with Gordon Library to provide study sessions and free coffee and snacks for local Year 12 students.

St Ives Youth Hub will partner with Ku-ring-gai Youth Development Service (KYDS). This will provide local children with free access to mental health services. Mayor Jeff Pettett had this to say:

“This will be a free and confidential service to our young residents who may be experiencing problems at school or home and feel they need extra support.”

KYDS provides aid to teens as well as their parents and carers via mental health support. They have been operating in the Ku-ring-gai area for over 15 years, tackling stigmas surrounding mental health. Over the past year, KYDS has provided counselling for over 400 young people.

Issues such as suicidal thoughts, break-ups, addictions, body image, grief, loss, study stress and family breakdowns are some areas in which KYDS can provide support. This support takes shape in many forms, including personalised counselling, family counselling, early intervention workshops and information events. KYDS also offers free online resources for parents and teens.

In addition to donations by local businesses and community groups, KYDS also receives Local, State and Federal funding, according to their 2021/2022 annual report.

At time of publication, the youth hubs are officially open and waiting for your teens to come along. If you know someone aged 12–18, send them down to either the St Ives or Gordon locations to take advantage of the fantastic, free activities and services being provided!

You can see more details online - www.krg.nsw.gov.au/Community/Young-people/Youth-centres