Youth Week will be held from March 31 to April 9 and this year’s theme is ‘Get involved, be heard, make a difference!’

Kempsey Shire Council’s community relations team has worked closely with Key Employment, Melville High School, Melville Clontarf Academy, Kempsey High School, Kempsey South Public and artist Blak Douglas to create a temporary art display.

The ‘Face Future, Future Face’ project celebrates the diverse and talented youth of the Macleay through a series of paste up self-portraits, taken over the past 18 months during local youth projects.

Council’s community projects officer, Annabel Lines, said the photographs have been digitally manipulated and enhanced to create vibrant representations of our youth.

“Printed in a large format, the posters will appear around town in the coming weeks so make sure you keep your eyes peeled for the faces of our future as they face the future.”

Council is also supporting the Kempsey Healing Together Committee’s Dash with a Splash - a 1.5km or 3km fun run or walk where participants will be splashed with all the colours of the rainbow. Prizes will be awarded on the day.

There will also be music, a career and education expo and a health focus. It will take place at Verge Street Oval on Thursday April 6 from 10am.

You can register for the event through Durri Aboriginal Medical Service.

Registration is $10 per person. Contact the Durri Program Team on 6560-2330 or email: natalie.riley@durri.org.au.

Registrations close this Friday, March 24.

Youth Week began as a NSW government initiative in 1989, and has since grown to be a celebration of young people in every state and territory across the country.

It is organised by young people, for young people, in communities across NSW and Australia. Following the success of the NSW Youth Week program, Youth Week became a national event in 2000.

National Youth Week is jointly supported by the Australian government, state and territory governments and local government.

National Youth Week is an opportunity for young people to:

As part of their funding agreement with the NSW government, councils agree to involve young people in all aspects of Youth Week, including the planning, development and management of activities.