Join other young people to design the Norfolk Island Youth Wellbeing Strategy.

To join send your name, age, and email address to email kym.buffett@outlook.com or message mobile +672350879.

Decide the detail of the Strategy by sharing your view on what it will look like:

• The vision or dream you want for young people to live a good life.
• The way you want services and the community to work with young people.
• The wellbeing areas and what each one means for young people.
• What you think young people on Norfolk Island need to live a good life for each wellbeing area.
• Your thoughts on the draft Strategy before it is a final version.

The group will meet three times out of work and school hours. The meetings will go for 1.5 to 2 hours to make sure there’s enough time to get your thoughts. You might need to do some work before the meeting if you have time.

It will look great on your resume. We will provide some food and drinks at the meetings. Gift vouchers will also be provided.

The youth groups below were asked about youth wellbeing:

• Youth subgroup of the Norfolk Island Mental Health Awareness Group
• Norfolk Island Central School Student Representative Council
• Norfolk Island Regional Council Youth Advisory Committee
• NI-Connect Holiday Wellbeing Program casual youth staff.

Services that support young people will ask if you want to talk about youth wellbeing.

There are some quick questions about what you think young people need to live a good life. And some more detailed questions about the areas of wellbeing.

You choose how much or little you want to talk.

To thank you for being involved we will offer some gift vouchers.

To do a one on one or small group talk, email niconnect@keyassets.org.au or message your name to +672351115.

Answer questions online about what you think young people on Norfolk Island need to live a good life.

Click the link below to fill in the survey.

Come share what you think about the actions needed to help young people to live a good life. We will provide some food and drinks at the sessions.

DM and share posts on how they can share their voice.

Have a say on the things you think we should add or change to get it right for you.

We will also ask the community to share their view on the draft Strategy.

Some things have changed in the community which affect wellbeing. What you tell us you need to have a good life will go in the Strategy.

Getting involved and having a say means:

• Your needs and what’s important to you will be at the core of the Strategy.
• You can affect choices made for young people. This could be for things like:
  • activities
  • programs
  • services, and
  • policies, which help young people live a good life.
• You can stand up for the support young people need for wellbeing now and in the future.

Young people will design the Strategy. We will do the research to provide information to help.

Young people have chosen the ways we are asking you to have a say about wellbeing.

We want to work together on what the Strategy looks like. And for you to tell us what should go in it.

For you, with you.

Image source: VIC Health.

It is for Norfolk Island young people approximately 12-25 years of age. For you, with you.

It will outline what we’re already doing and what you think are opportunities to strengthen, develop, and advocate for youth wellbeing, now and in the future.

The Strategy will provide the framework to guide alignment and collaborative support for actions across service providers, the government and community of Norfolk Island.

The Strategy could help with asking for funding or developing activities, services, and programs to support youth wellbeing.

It is vital that young people are empowered to thrive and have a good life. The Norfolk Island Community Strategic Plan 2016-2026: Our Plan Our Future, includes the objective to “support and foster active, healthy, informed and empowered youth.”

Young people have experienced changes in community and societal factors, which effect wellbeing. Some of these changes have included:

• Loss of self-governance since 2016
• Provision of welfare and social support services
• Transition to new providers for education and health in 2022
• The COVID-19 pandemic
• Challenges related to increased living expenses, food security, shipping supplies, increase in population, housing availability, and waste management.
• Climate change and experience of extreme weather events, such as drought.

Initial findings, from the scoping for this project, support the need to develop a Norfolk Island Youth Wellbeing Strategy. There are a range of universal wellbeing services and activities available. However, there are opportunities to:

• improve engagement through capacity building, promotion and access to services.
• provide tailored and targeted support, services and activities for young people.
• enhance systems, such as coordination of existing and new policies and programs, to support wellbeing.
• collaboratively integrate the delivery of youth centred wellbeing services.
• facilitate empowering young people to share their voice on wellbeing needs.

It is also important that heritage, traditions and culture, which contribute to the wellbeing of Norfolk Island young people, is sustained.

Further understanding the wellbeing needs of Norfolk Island young people, as part of the development of the Strategy, will help to:

• identify strengths, gaps and opportunities to meet their needs
• support the development of policies, services, programs and activities that have the needs of young people at their core
• respect and value culture, heritage and traditions
• support young people to thrive and have a good life, laying the foundations for future health and wellbeing.

Wellbeing is what you need to do well, grow, and have a good life (liw guud). Your ‘way of life’ is unique due to the culture and remote spot of Norfolk Island.

Research shows there are six areas young people need for wellbeing to have a good life. (Goodhue, R., Dakin, P., Noble, K. (2021) What’s in the Nest? ARACY.) These are in the picture below. The Norfolk Island Youth Wellbeing Strategy will use these and show strengths and actions to support young people.

(Image source: Maribyrnong Council Strategy for Children, Young People and their Families 2030.)

We met with the Norfolk Island Council of Elders in December 2022. We asked for their endorsement of the project and support to establish a youth leadership group.

The Norfolk Island Council of Elders have provided in principle support and value the importance of young people.

We give ongoing updates and seek the Norfolk Island Council of Elders advice.

Kym Buffett is a consultant contracted by Key Assets – NI-Connect to lead this project.

I am a Norfolk Islander, passionate about young people; the future of Norfolk Island. I have relevant experience and knowledge:

• Living on Norfolk Island as a Pitcairn Island descendant
• Developing, implementing and evaluating policies, strategies and programs for children and young people.
• Developing and completing research and consultation and engagement strategies.
• Developing program and promotional resources and tools, including communication strategies and material.
• Working collaboratively with key stakeholders to achieve shared outcomes.
• Establishing and supporting the former Norfolk Island Youth Advisory Committee for the Norfolk Island Regional Council.