Since opening earlier this month, the OLLY initiative has quickly become a haven for the region’s youth.
Opportunities and Life Links for Youth, known as OLLY, set out to provide a welcoming and non-judgmental space for young people, providing them with a meal, good company and various optional activities.
Students Dakodah Male and Lilly Clarke highlighted their enjoyment of the program and all that it provided.
Both said they would encourage Greater Shepparton’s youth to take the leap and join in on all the activities.
“It’s fun to do, and you won’t get bored,” Dakodah said.
Lilly rates the program “10 out of 10”.
“It's been good, exciting and (I’ve) met new people. It’s great,” she said.
Youth worker Ana Filipovic said the activities ranged from basketball games to UNO and cooking lessons.
She said the main message was that OLLY was “somewhere you can be yourself”.
“It’s super chilled,” she said.
“It’s very different to a structured-type of environment like a school; that’s not our aim.
“The space is for you, and it’s designed by you, so please come along.”