It’s cool to be in the pool
IT'S set to be a scorcher this weekend but thankfully Clarence Valley Council's Eyes Wide project is coming to the rescue by putting on a free pool party today at the Grafton Pool.
Young people aged 12-18 will be granted free access to the pool and waterslide today along with entertainment provided by a DJ, a barbecue lunch, giveaways and more.
The pool party dovetails with a number of other Eyes Wide activities to be held this weekend including a pop-up cinema session at Coutts Crossing and art and photography workshops at Wooli and Yamba.
Acting council deputy general manager Dave Morrison said the idea of the pool party and the other Eyes Wide activities was to give young people in the area some fun, active and creative things to do, while educating them about the dangers of binge drinking.
"The broader program is all about providing activities and lifestyle choices for youth that aren't based on drinking," Mr Morrison said.
"At the pool party, we'll have community workers there talking to people and it'll also create that environment where hopefully young people can see there's a lot of things out there they can do that don't involve drinking."
Mr Morrison said a big part of the Eyes Wide project was reaching out to young people living in the valley's smaller towns and villages.
"Kids can feel a bit isolated in those areas and feel that there's not a lot of choices out there for them, which can lead them into trouble," he said.
Mr Morrison said early signs indicated the project was having an impact. "The feedback has been positive so far and the numbers of people showing up have been good - it's early days at the moment, but it seems to be making a good impression so far."
