The Seymour We Want to reconvene with a youth focus

By Bianca Hall

Mar 20, 2023

Team work: The Seymour We Want-auspiced local project Art Attack in 2019. 90 Degrees Art founder Daniel Wenn, volunteers James Hall and Bruce Johnstone, Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes and Mitchell Shire councillor Rhonda Sanderson at the official opening of the freshly painted railway underpass. Photo by David Rak

Formed in 2001, The Seymour We Want was created by locals to enrich residents’ livelihoods. After a quiet few years during COVID, the group is meeting again at the end of March, with a focus on youth.

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The Seymour We Want's mission is to link people and organisations, galvanising the community and providing advocacy.

In 1999 Seymour was ranked the 10th most disadvantaged postcode in Victoria before community-led action helped improve this ranking.

By 2007 Seymour was ranked in the top half of the state.

However in the latest Dropping Off The Edge (www.dote.org.au) report, Seymour ranked in the 11-20 band range, a worse ranking than the previous 2015 report.

The Seymour We Want is bringing together a panel of local leaders who are at the forefront of working with kids at thier next AGM on Thursday, March 30.

The panel members include Jayden Sheridan from Gnarly Neighbours, Lucy Linton from Healthy Kids, Mitchell and Liz Tregenza from Our Place at the Seymour Family & Children’s Centre.

Jayden Sheridan from Gnarly Neighbours will update attendees on his successful skateboarding program with local youth.

Lucy Linton will talk about the innovative projects transforming eating and activity habits for young people.

Liz Tregenza, the partnership manager from Our Place at Seymour Family & Children's Centre, will share highlights of the organisation’s 10-year plan based on the power of education.

The Seymour We Want spokesperson acknowledged there are many areas worthy of attention in improving the quality of life for local residents.

The spokesperson said these three speakers brought a special focus to Seymour kids, ensuring they had creative, positive and healthy environments to develop positive life skills and success outcomes in life.

“We are trying to get Seymour working as a whole and have two or three meetings a year where the community come along and share what they are doing,” the spokesperson said.

“We want to lift ourselves out again, to build our pride and create a voice so issues of strong importance people can be bought together to have a collective voice.”

The annual general meeting (AGM) will be held at 7.30pm on March 30 at Our Place, Stewart St, Seymour. The public is welcome to attend.