BELLINGEN Youth Hub has won the NSW Youth Service of the Year for its innovation, youth engagement, impact and sector leadership.
Judges for the 2025 NSW Youth Work Awards called Bello Youth Hub a stand-out winner.
The recognition highlights the local, relationship-based model that is shaped each week by the young people who use the Hub, and the support of families, schools, services, businesses and volunteers across the shire.
Coordinator Michael Mooney summarised the Hub’s everyday practice and tone, saying: “We keep the Hub non-judgemental, welcoming and safe.
“It’s the kind of place where someone says ‘Hi, how are you?’ and ‘have some food’.”
Mooney said the model only works because the Hub is locally embedded and relationship based.
“We can pivot where the community needs to go and incubate programs that genuinely reflect local needs, building programs and activities with young people, not just for them.
“The Hub is for every kid, because everyone needs connection and everyone needs belonging.”
He pointed to practical work such as the long-running, volunteer-run learner driver program using donated cars, which builds independence for young people and is economically beneficial for working-class families.
Mooney said none of it happens in isolation, with many community members and groups contributing everything from food to mentoring.
“It really does take a village here; each person has something unique to offer.
“So many good people make this place work, that it is almost impossible to map.”
Hub Youth Programs worker Kylie Selig described the day-to-day as honest and youth led.
“By getting on their level, doing things they actually like and not judging them,” she said.
“When something is up, we sit down and say, ‘Okay, let us nut this out.
“What is this going to look like?’ and then we make it happen.
“Part of the job is helping kids feel valued and helping adults learn how to communicate with young people.”
Long-time Hub sub-committee member Kerry Child said the win is part of a Bellingen story that began years ago, when locals decided to build a dedicated youth space.
“A federal infrastructure grant set things in motion and the community rallied; Council secured the site, a local architect designed the building, and the application had strong local support, and the result was a genuine community effort that delivered a dedicated youth space.”
“The culture that followed has been one of trust and belonging.
“The Hub is open to anybody to come in, and that makes it pretty unique,” Ms Child said.
“In more than 13 years, the building has not been vandalised.
“Young people see it as their space.
“That sense of ownership continues to guide how facilities and programs grow.
“We ask young people what they want and then build it with the community, from the recording studio to the boxing and the gym downstairs.”
By Andrea FERRARI
You can help your local paper.
Make a small once-off, or (if you can) a regular donation.
We are an independent family owned business and our newspapers are free to collect and our news stories are free online.
Help support us into the future.
