The Collie PCYC has been moving forward on plans to hold parkour training sessions at their Forrest Street facility.
Collie PCYC has received a $25,000 grant through the Western Australia Police Community Crime Prevention fund to set up ‘Street Gym’ classes.
Centre Manager Linda Gallagher said the equipment would be placed in the gym area to provide a new and unique activity.
“Parkour is being able to use your environment as an activity area, so basically what we are doing is building equipment inside the centre,” she said.
“The objective is to build equipment boxes, some will be free-standing and some will be attached to the walls that the kids can use to jump, flip, all the rest of it and be kids basically.”
Collie PCYC has planned to hold the course on Friday nights as part of the Safe Sanctuary program for Collie youth.
Ms Gallagher has begun discussion with Bunbury Prison for some of the residents to build the boxes.
The Collie PCYC Juvenile Justice Team participants would then be in charge of putting together and building the dismantled boxes.
“When they come through and have community service hours, at the moment we’re lacking in something constructive that they can actually do to give back to the community,” she said.
“It is a great way for them to build something that is theirs, they can take it right through to painting it, they have then got ownership of the box so their name can be on it if they wish, it’s entirely up to them.”
Collie PCYC gymnastics coach Gerry Barton has come on board as lead coach while Ricky Gillard will serve as Gymsport WA instructor.
Ms Gallagher said programs like Street Gym provided a range of opportunities for youth attending Collie PCYC to try something new in a safe environment.
She said the students were excited to take up parkour, seen as a sport that assisted youth around the world.
“We are trying to provide them with something and this covers many areas that we are looking at,” she said.
“It is known for engaging the kids, it has got past history right around the world and it’s a big one.”
The first meeting was held on June 11, 2017 at 5pm.
Ms Gallagher said the centre’s Safe Sanctuary program has recently taken in around 60 youth on Friday nights.
She said the program would help to get the students out into the environment around them.
“It is very important because we are trying to promote healthy bodies, healthy attitudes and healthy living,” she said.
According to the Australian Parkour Association, the sport provided a mental and physical method for moving through different environments and overcoming obstacles at speed.