Wagga Wagga City Council’s Alex Osgood, Rural Outreach Counselling’s Chelsea Stewart and St Vincent de Paul Riverina’s Shannon Carey are excited to invite Wagga’s youth to Kooringal Kicks and Tricks in 2025. Photo: Jarryd Rowley.
Wagga’s youth looking for one last hurrah before heading back into the classroom this summer will have the opportunity to show off their skating skills at Kooringal Kicks and Tricks in January.
The new festival will be a full-day event that centres around a brand-new skate competition at Henwood Park followed by an outdoor movie.
Kicking off at 2 pm on 30 January at the Kooringal park, there will be a multi-heat skate competition for young people aged 10 to 25 years, presented by Al’s Skate Co.
Council’s Youth and Community Development Officer Mel Fattore said there were loads of prizes to be won.
“Alongside the competition, young people, their friends, family and circle of care will have the opportunity to engage with valuable youth services based in Wagga Wagga along with fun and exciting activities like weaving, handball competitions, 3×3 basketball and giant lawn games,” Ms Fattore said.
“When the epic skate competition wraps up at 7 pm, everyone is invited to stay around for a free family-friendly outdoor movie in partnership with Rural Outreach Counselling.
“With the cost-of-living pressures, council wanted to support young people and families getting ready to return to the new school year, by finishing up the summer school holidays with one last fun, social and jam-packed giveaway event that provides much-needed support to our community.”
Rural Outreach Counselling’s Chelsea Stewart said it was exciting to partner with WWCC to provide an outdoor experience for Wagga’s young people without the risks of alcohol or drugs present.
Rural Outreach Counselling will be hosting an outdoor cinema experience that will feature its blow-up screen. Photo: Supplied.
“Rural Outreach Counselling spent a lot of time fundraising to be able to buy this outdoor cinema and we’ve had some amazing support to be able to afford it,” she said.
“These community events encourage people to come out and get together. It’s great for kids to be able to reconnect before they face that new school year too.”
Ms Stewart said it was important for Rural Outreach Counselling to make an appearance at the event so that the community could understand what mental health resources were available to them.
“Events like this provide exposure for us, for the community, to know where we are, how to find us, and how we can help,” she said.
“In saying that, we also want to be a part of the fun. Council put on amazing community days and to be a part of that in some way is really exciting.”
Rapid Relief Team Wagga, St Vincent de Paul Riverina and The Smith Family, along with NSW Youth Justice, will also be providing services such as free haircuts on the day, much-needed school resources and free food.
St Vincent de Paul Riverina’s Shannon Carey said a lot of families felt financial pressures during the Christmas and back-to-school periods and hoped that providing different resources at the event would alleviate some of those stresses.
“St Vincent de Paul is happy to be able to support this event by supplying backpacks and school packs to students,” Ms Carey said.
“This just takes one of those financial burdens away from parents who are struggling. It’s also a way that they can do it in an open, quite welcoming and stigma-free sort of environment as well.”
Kooringal Kicks and Tricks runs from 2 pm until 7 pm on 30 January at Kooringal Park. Visitors are encouraged to stay for a movie afterwards.
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