Playford young people look to transform an outdoor concrete jungle into a colourful oasis at a local shopping centre in Davoren Park.

The $45,000 youth-led placemaking project, Building up HOPE, is underway thanks to grant funding received by the Department of Human Services for COVID-19 Recovery.

The City of Playford is working with young people who use the area and are involved with CareWorks Hope Street and Carclew's Pom Pom program located at the Davoren Park Shopping Centre.

Pom Pom is a contemporary art space funded by Anglicare’s Communities for Children, which offers hands-on creative workshops delivered by leading artists over the school term and during school holidays for children (up to 12 years).

Hope Street, which forms part of the CareWorks Hope Youth program, is a youth drop in centre providing activities and social connectedness for young people.

Shayla Brown, 10, loves art and has attended Pom Pom for about three years. Shayla is excited to see the outdoor space in front of the art space come to life.

“It looks really plain and I want to light up the area,” she said. “We need more shade, bins and plants.”

Tahlia Wilson, 17, and Lachlan O’Connell, 18, attend Hope Street and want a welcoming space to attract new young people to the programs.

“More colour, plants and space to do activities,” Tahlia said. “We want a space that is welcoming.”

“We want a space where young people actually want to visit and engage in activities,” Lachlan added.

Like many young people, Playford youth have experienced significant impacts due to COVID-19.

The Building for HOPE projects aims to promote positive physical and mental wellbeing and community connectedness.

For more information on Pom Pom and how you can get your child involved visit https://carclew.com.au/Program/pom-pom

For more information on CareWorks SA Youth – Hope Street visit https://www.cwsa.org.au/programs/youth-hope-street

Building up HOPE is a City of Playford project in partnership with CareWorks SA’s Hope Street and Carclew's Pom Pom. This project has received funding from the Department of Human Services Youth-led COVID-19 Recovery Grants and administered by the Local Government Association of South Australia. Views and findings associated with this project are expressed independently and do not necessarily represent the views of the Government of South Australia or the Local Government Association of South Australia.