Matty Day, who has a background in education, arts, sport and the youth sector, is contesting the town council vacancy created by the resignation of Geoff Booth.
Mr Day played a prominent role in the campaign by young people to have a skateboarding trial in the Mall.
He was involved in establishing and managing the Alice Springs Youth Hub and has worked with the successful Clontarf program in schools.
He says he is also a driving force behind public art installations such as the works in Parsons St and Brown St. He was involved in the Todd Mall Revitalisation Project and is a member of the town council Public Art Advisory Committee. He has also been involved in local events such as the Alice Desert Festival.
The father of four  is also a keen sportsman, playing AFL in the town league and football (soccer) as well as golf and skateboarding.
“Alice Springs hosts some fantastic events that are supported by Council and I am keen to see this continue and grow,” Mr Day says in a statement.
“A vibrant, active and diverse community also attracts, promotes and supports local business. Encouraging more events in the CBD and other community spaces could to inject more life into these areas and become economic drivers.
“I’m interested in hearing ideas from Alice Springs residents and residents about what they would like to see their council take on in the future.”
Mr Day is pictured (from left) with Mayor Damien Ryan and Council Community and Cultural Development Manager Leon Tripp. Mr Day is working on a council commissioned mural on the Traeger Park wall facing Gap Road. Photograph: MITCH CAMERON.
UPDATE 1.50pm
The candidates for the election on November 23, in the order in which they will appear on the ballot paper, are BONANNI, Kylie; DAY, Matty; FURPHY, Colin; BRIDGEFOOT, John and BAXTER, Edan Ross.
Sunday, November 17, 2024
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Curious to know what role Matty had in establishing the Alice Springs Youth Hub?
Hi Jen,
My role in establishing the Youth Hub was to deliver an active space that young people felt comfortable in frequenting. The type of place that created the opportunity for young people to be “included in” and “to have ownership of”.
Put simply, a safe fun place to hang out, connect with friends and new people and do stuff that young people do. The value add for the space was that the activities happened on the lower level whilst users knew that should you ever need to access a support service, they could find it in the same space, just upstairs.
In the position of Youth Activities Coordinator and Acting Youth Services Coordinator, I worked with sector and wider community a create the vibrant space were regular collaborative events like the Vibe 3 on 3 Basketball, Youth Week, Alice Desert Festival and numerous concerts, movie nights and discos were held.
The early successful events set a new standard for youth events that extended out to other venues within the community. Events became one of the access points for the community, once people had a positive experience in the space they were likely to re engage.
Another part of my role at the Youth Hub was to take lead role in coordinating Youth Activities Calendar proactively working with the NT Government youth services as well as the NGO youth agencies. NT Police also actively supported a number of these activities. During this time we were able to populate and deliver a “chocker block” Youth Activities Calendar that was full of vibrant and inclusive Arts, Music and Sport based youth events throughout the community.
In the lead up to the summer of 2011/12 (when “anti social behaviour” was the popular catch word and aspiring local government candidates ran with “Youth Curfew” agenda) the Youth Hub (through the Youth Services and Youth Activities positions) coordinated 22 youth events in collaboration with NGOs like Tangentyere and Congress and community groups like Rotary.
The summer events were held at the Basketball Stadium and Aquatic and Leisure Centre. “Cops and Kids” Basketball events on week nights (attracting between 150-200 youth participants each event) and “Splash” Pool Party’s on weekends (300-400 per event). A free bus service was provided for all participants whose parents didn’t pick them up, safely transported them home (or to a safe place via YSOS – Youth Street Outreach Service) at the end of the night.
NT Police reported that youth crime dropped over that summer period and it appeared our community had found some part of a long term solution to the “anti social behaviour of young people in town” issue during the “summer spike”.
Before my handover in mid 2012, the last project I coordinated for the NT Government side of the Youth Hub was the 1000 Voices Youth Consultation.
The 1000 Voices project provided a platform for young people voices to be heard by government with the aim of contributing to the formation of policy.
1000 Voices approached young consultation in a relationship based manner.
The aim was to reach those that aren’t normally asked because it is too difficult to capture that voice. It was a really effective communication tool that captured the voice those young people that are often heard via coordination support to the people working with them (or others who have a relationship with them). The scope of the consultation tool allowed the voices of those that are most marginalised to be captured equally to those who are least marginalised.
My work at the Youth Hub (site) continued post Dept of Children and Families via the development role of Administration and Project Coordinator with the St. Joseph’s Catholic Flexible Learning Centre (the new school at the Youth Hub / previously Anzac Hill High). During that period with the school we doubled its enrolment of disengaged young people and staffing size, developed the operational systems and increased reach into the community.
Currently, I am self employed.
Jen, I Hope that satisfies your curiosity. I realise you also have past experience in the youth sector and would be more than happy to meet and chat further about any suggestions you may have.