Youth forum encourages ideas

YOUNG mums and skateboarders enthusiastically promoted their ideas for better community facilities at a Manawatu Youth Forum in Feilding this week.

Four representatives each from the Feilding Playcentre-based Young Dreams and Feilding Intermediate School presented their Photo-Voice findings at a meeting in the Manawatu District Council chamber on Monday.

Young Dreams recommended access, bathroom and office layout changes at the playcentre as well as upgrades at Kowhai, Victoria and Timona Parks and the Feilding lookout to encourage greater family enjoyment.

Improved signage for the “beneficial” Information Centre was called for, as well as more opening hours for the toy library and a private area for breastfeeding at Feilding’s public toilets.

The FIS presenters, whose project focus was the Feilding skate park, felt the popular facility in South Street could be moved next to the Makino Aquatic Centre.

“It would be easy to access, raise the profile of skating in Feilding and include a foam pit so skateboarding skills could be practised in safety,” they said.

The group also said there were access, litter and graffiti problems at the present site and some of the coping had worked loose and was dangerous to riders.

All the recommendations and suggestions are to be discussed by the Youth Forum committee to see what community action could be taken.