Hastings – The Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge (HKPR) District Health Unit has given the Youth Action Council $1,400 to improve the village’s beach on the north side of the Trent River.

“This is just awesome news,” said Tonya Smith, who has served as the council’s supervisor since it was formed last March.

“We plan on doing some excavating and putting on new sand to make the beach bigger,” she told Community Press. “I think that this is really exciting. The youth council deserves a big pat on the back; the health unit really liked our ideas about the beach project, so congratulations, youth council.”
The health unit distributes Youth Resiliency Grants to support youth projects throughout Haliburton and Northumberland counties and the City of Kawartha Lakes. The grants are intended to enhance the overall health and well-being of youth.

As the health unit explains on its website, the grants for up to $4,000 support projects designed and implemented by youth for youth. The projects must be related to an important issue in the community that affect youth and should be designed to make a positive contribution to the community.

The youth council is made up of young people from Hastings and area in the grades 4 to 8 age range.

“And we have been backed by Camille Edwards (Trent Hills deputy mayor) from the start,” Smith said.

“It wanted people to realize that the kids’ ideas are great ideas about how to make Hastings a better place,” she said. “And I’m the kind of person who if I see things that need doing I go out and do them.”

Her enthusiasm has energized the youth council to take on a number of fundraising projects in the community, with the money going to the municipality’s Let Them Be Kids playground and adult fitness park project.

A youth dance held in Hastings attracted close to 70 young people and raised about $300, and a recent bottle drive raised another $400.

More youth dances are planned, once a month at the Hastings Civic Centre; the next one is Friday, Aug.13, from 7 to 10 p.m. Parent volunteers chaperone the event.

There are also plans for a movie night and karaoke night.

Also coming up is an age of majority fundraising dance Saturday, Aug. 14 at the Hastings Legion, starting at 8 p.m., with DJ Jim McLean as the host.

So far the youth council has raised $1,000 for the pool of money being put together by a variety of groups to reach the goal of $200,000.

Three playgrounds and adult fitness parks will be built Sept. 4 in Campbellford, Hastings and Warkworth.

And the Youth Action Council plans to be there to help.

The beach project is one more example of what the youngsters have decided is important for their community.

“Everyone should know that it’s Tonya who made us realize we can put our ideas out there and people will listen,” said 11-year-old Youth Action Council member Nancy Ohnol.

“She has given us a chance to get our ideas out there,” commented Angel Howell, 12.

“The things we are doing make it not so boring, there was nothing to do here for our age group,” added Kalli Wilmshurst, 13.

“And nobody is there to tell you what you can’t do . . . we are told what we can do,” added Jasmine Beamish, 12.

To help promote awareness of the council and its efforts the group is selling T-shirts with the words “Bright ideas, making a difference” that glow in the dark.

The T-shirts will be available for sale at the Hastings Waterfront Festival Aug. 20, 21, where the council will have a booth set up, charging $15 for adults and $10 for youth.

The youth council was scheduled to meet this week to talk more about their projects and fundraising.

“The sky’s the limit. No idea is bogus. The kids can take pride in their hometown,” Smith said.

For more information about the council e-mail Smith at tonya_mccoll@hotmail.com or search Facebook.