Inspector Lee Ingmire, Alice Trevaskis, Sgt Steven Magnone, Sophie Janota, club manager Zac Maloney and club president David Bardos at Wagga PCYC. Photo: Chris Roe.
In a time of economic uncertainty, rising costs, struggling businesses and failing developments, Wagga’s new PCYC complex stands as a beacon of success.
In November, PCYC Wagga Wagga celebrated two years in the new facility on Fitzhardinge Street and the 61-year-old club has boomed beyond expectation.
“It’s really been fascinating to see,” said club president David Bardos.
“When we opened up in November 2022, we had an idea that it would grow quickly, but the participation rate numbers just went off the charts.”
The rapid growth soon pushed resources to the limit and Mr Bardos said there were early operational constraints that made it challenging to meet the surging demand.
“Also in the mix we have a very low unemployment rate and workforce shortages, so just getting the right people in place and allocating the resources for the growth we had the first six months was challenging,” he said.
But of course, that’s a good problem to have!”
Wagga Wagga PCYC’s $23 million facility on Fitzhardinge Street. Photo: AJC.
In the past 12 months, membership has skyrocketed by 685 per cent, growing from 650 to 5100 members and visitation increased by a staggering 2937 per cent, reaching 60,150 visits over the year.
Recognised with the 2024 Outstanding Community Organisation Award by the Wagga Wagga Business Chamber and Business NSW Riverina-Murray, they were also a finalist at the recent Business NSW state awards.
Mr Bardos attributes PCYC Wagga Wagga’s success to a clear vision, strong stakeholder relationships and having the courage to dream big and follow through.
“It really started in 2014 with strong interest from the state office to look at building a new club in Wagga based on the growth, the demand and the participation rate at the old club which had been running for over 50 years,” he said.
“Because it was taxpayer-funded, we were very conscious of the social license and the social return of investment, so there were discussions on how this could really turn things around for Wagga.
“We were working closely with local agencies and organisations to understand their needs, their growth prospects and business cases, and then we could attach our scope and our vision to their ambitions.”
Rather than adopting a “build it and they will come” attitude, Wagga PCYC designed the ambitious facility around the specific needs of several key anchor tenants, like Wagga Basketball and established programs like Fit for Life.
“It was a significant balancing act to work out what would be required and how all these things would co-exist and how it would benefit society and the youth,” he said.
“The key was really engaging with the community, engaging with our stakeholders and engaging with the police as to how it will come together in a business plan.”
In 2024, membership has skyrocketed by 685 per cent at Wagga PCYC. Photo: AJC.
As engagement numbers have surged and the demographic has broadened through things such as the pickleball craze for over 50s, the club has reinvested revenue into its core programs and its mission to engage with the youth.
“It was a big part of the vision for the youth that they would feel that it’s their facility,” Mr Bardos said.
“For us adults, we have places we can go, but when you’re nine – where do you hang out? So it’s that safe space and it’s welcoming and brings a smile into our hearts when we see a child come in the door and their eyes light up because they know it’s for them.”
Looking ahead, Wagga PCYC is on track for even more growth in 2025 and Mr Bardos said they hope to build on community partnerships and programs, host more events and invest in additional training and mentoring for staff and volunteers.
“There have been a lot of challenges, but it’s been an incredible journey which we’re very proud of.”
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