I met up with the young people at Down The Track in Lake Cargelligo early last week where they were working hard in the Trackin’ Good food van.

This food van is part of one of two streams offered by the Down The Track program, including hospitality and agriculture. Trackin’ Good gives young people an opportunity to build up their occupational skills in the hospitality sector, providing workplace experience and increasing employability.

It’s inspiring, it’s making a difference, and it’s a credit to Lana Masterson and the team at Down The Track as well as all of the young people who put their hand up to have a go and get involved. If you are in Lake Cargelligo keep an eye out for their food van and grab yourself a bite to eat!

Visits to men’s sheds

It’s always great to be able to drop in and visit men’s sheds in the Parkes electorate and see the good work they are doing.

These volunteer-led groups bring men from their communities together to work on projects and get alongside each other, which is so important.

Thanks to the Copper City Men’s Shed and the Lake Cargelligo Men’s Shed for having a chat and showing me around recently.

If your local men’s shed or community group would like a visit from me, please give one of my offices a call.

Youth Week 2023

NSW Youth Week 2023 takes place between April 20 and 30 and includes many activities for young people across the state, so keep an eye out for what may be available near you.

Young people like Sophie Clark from Cobar are inspiring, and it was a pleasure to meet her last week. For someone so young she has already achieved many wonderful things and on Wednesday I caught up with her to discuss her experiences as one of 20 students from across New South Wales chosen to participate in the Rural Youth Ambassador Program for 2022.

This program encourages leadership potential in young people and gives them opportunities to develop their skills and speak up about issues that matter to them.

My congratulations to Sophie, I know that she has a bright future ahead of her, and so do many young people across the Parkes electorate.

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