Snapshots of coast life to be rewarded

FRASER Coast enthusiasts under the age of 21 should get their cameras out and start snapping.

As part of National Homeless Persons' Week, Youthcare Hervey Bay has launched its inaugural youth photo competition which is centred on Fraser Coast people, culture and surroundings – the good and the bad.

Youthcare president George Seymour said the competition would provide the opportunity for young people to see their work published, with the top 12 winning entries set to appear in a special fundraising 2012 calendar and the top three would be published in the Observer.

He said funds from the calendar would then go towards building a new homeless shelter,Youthcare.

“Over the past 20 years, the needs of the Fraser Coast have changed,” Mr Seymour said.

“We want to move and adapt to meet those needs and, in the near future, we would like to move out of our Urangan premises to a larger and more rural facility – one where we can provide a more holistic support service for Fraser Coast youth.”

Youthcare Hervey Bay has operated an eight-bed homeless shelter at Urangan for young people aged 16 to 21 since 1990.

“We are hoping that this photo competition, and the 2012 calendar that we will produce as a result of it, will help raise awareness about youth homelessness in the region as well as kick-starting the fundraising for the new shelter.” Entries to the photo competition close on October 1. Entry forms can be found at www.youthcarehb. org.au, or by contacting Mr Seymour on 0409 614 148. The calendar will be distributed in December.