Council Teams up with Maitland Youth to Revitalise Facilities
Council has joined forces with Hunter based youth organisation UP&UP and some of Maitland’s young people to give one of the city’s sports fields a mini makeover.
This Saturday 12 February, we’re inviting the community to come along to Norm Chapman Oval at Rutherford as we join forces to paint a mural on the rebound wall and bring the colour back into a valuable community asset.
The UP&UP crew will team up with Council and some of Maitland’s young people to inject some life into the space.
The rebound wall is one of many features at the sports field, which features a playground, a half basketball court, and hosts sports teams like the Rutherford Football Club and Western Suburbs Cricket Club.
Revitalising the space is part of Council’s Youth Space Activation Project, which aims to empower Maitland’s young people by working side by side and creating inclusive and dedicated youth spaces.
Coordinator Recreation and Community Planning, David Baker says, ‘We’re focused on finding ways to work with our community’s young people and create spaces that work for them, rather than just going ahead and doing what we think is best.
‘This project and Saturday’s event is part of that. We want Maitland’s young people to be helping create and decorate the spaces that they’ll enjoy using, so that they value these spaces and use them time and time again.
‘UP&UP is an organisation with a track record of doing amazing things with young people throughout the Hunter Valley, and it made sense for us to team up and bring Norm Chapman Oval to life.’
The Youth Space Activation Project is a two year mission that Council is currently undertaking, which will deliver a series of sporting and community art activities like skate, scooter, and bike competitions, art projects, and more.
It’s funded by the NSW Safer Country Communities Grant as part of a series of projects designed to activate youth spaces throughout the state.
Since it began a little over a year ago, Council has delivered projects like Ashtonfield Rebound Wall and the East Maitland Shred Skate Competition, with more in the pipeline.
We’re inviting the community to come to the event on Saturday, pick up a spray can and help spruce up the rebound wall. It’s free, and there will be a BBQ offering a sausage sandwich thanks to the Rutherford Telarah Rotary Club.
