Your input regarding this course will greatly improve future planning and program improvements.

It will only take a few minutes to complete the survey. We greatly appreciate your time and input.

‘The Dower’ program operates weekly on Thursdays and Fridays at the Billy Dower Youth Centre. During the school term it runs from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm and in the School Holidays it operates from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. The room it operates from contains a variety of passive leisure options including pool tables, internet access, television with Xbox and DVD/video and sports equipment. A minimum of two City of Mandurah youth officers are on duty at all times to supervise and implement a variety of structured and unstructured activities that aim to:
• Provide a healthy snack
• Keep the cliental engaged
• Minimises disruptive and antisocial behaviour
• Develop life skills

The City of Mandurah provides the majority of funding through the use of the building, provision of staff and an annual cash allocation. In addition, project grants are applied for on a regular basis that value add to the program and provide a temporary focus. Program developers also support and encourage the participants to engage in external community activities, events, programs and services to develop their social capital.

External agencies and volunteers are welcome to interact with ‘The Dower’ program and all personal are required to go through a formal induction process where program policies and procedures a fully discussed and explained.

It is also acknowledged that ‘The Dower’ is open to all young people aged between 12 and 18, but the focus is on ‘at risk' young people. A young person is defined as ‘at risk’ if their life circumstances threatened their physical, psychological or emotional wellbeing and precluded or limited the normative development experiences necessary to achieve healthy adult functioning. At risk young people include long term unemployed, juvenile offenders, homeless youth, physically, emotionally, or sexually abused youth, neglected youth, school truants, drug abusers and so on.

Participants attend ‘The Dower’ under their own volition and are free to come and go as they please once they have signed in. The age range is restricted to 12 to 25 year olds with 14 to 17 being the priority. Currently, the program attracts predominantly indigenous youth from the Greenfields, Coodanup, Dudley park and the Mandurah area.

For more information contact the Billy Dower Youth Centre on 9550 3670.