Albany Youth Centre.
Connecting Great Southern young people to community, skills, and opportunities
The Youth Centre is a welcoming and inclusive space for people aged 12-25 in the Great Southern region. Fully staffed by a certified Youth Worker, the centre is a safe place for young people to rest, recalibrate, and form the connections they need to find hope during tough times.
The Youth Centre is open 2-6pm, Monday-Thursday
Services are FREE for 12-25 year olds
Connect to self.
Living with housing insecurity, violence, or health struggles can be overwhelming. It can be hard to make sure your basic needs are met.
At the Youth Centre, young people can access shower, laundry and kitchen facilities, discreetly and on their terms.
Connect to safe adults.
Young people’s wellbeing is at the core of everything we do at the Youth Centre. That’s why we have Bones—a certified Youth Worker—on duty whenever the centre is open.
Youth Workers act as a bridge between young people and the services they need. They are also trained to:
Create a safe, welcoming, non-judgemental environment, where young people can feel comfortable expressing themselves.
Build trusting relationships with young people who may not have a reliable adult to lean on when they need guidance.
Model positive behaviour and communication, demonstrating healthy ways to interact with peers and adults.
Recognise and address the needs of marginalised groups, like LGBTQI+ and neurodivergent young people.
Assist young people in navigating complex systems—like accessing social services, applying for jobs, or finding educational opportunities.
Identify signs of distress or risk among young people, so they can access early intervention for substance abuse, school disengagement, and mental health crises.
Connect to peers.
With several purposefully designed zones, there’s something for everyone at the Youth Centre. A large wood fire warms the comfy lounge area, there are computers for life admin, gaming consoles, and quiet corners to curl up with a book.
Afternoon cooking sessions give young people the chance to fuel up and find common interests. And varied activities across the week help them find a place in the community—which is linked to greater outcomes for everyone.
Connect to skills.
Each term, the Youth Centre offers a variety of creative and practical skills, like music production, photography, stained glass making, art therapy sessions, and creating digital media.
Facilitated by professionals in each field, the workshops are a great way to discover new skills—but it’s more than that. Accessing creativity in a safe space boosts confidence and shows young people they’re not alone.
Connect to opportunities.
A Youth Worker is always on hand to help young people navigate tricky systems—like Centrelink, healthcare, education, and employment. For young people who don’t always have the support they need from parents and family, these connections are crucial. And they’re an essential part of the pathway from disadvantage to hope.
Teamwork makes the dream work
The Sanford Road Youth Centre is supported by Youth Great Southern and the Albany Youth Support Association. In time, we hope to partner with community organisations to employ 10 Youth Workers across the Great Southern.
Get involved, your way
Supporting young people in the Great Southern makes our community stronger.
If you’d like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you!
For individuals: Subscribe to our mailing list to stay in the loop
For organisations: If you’ve got a project idea that aligns with our values, get in touch!