Centre double clicks with youth

By Tania Martin
COCKATOO man Greg Saunders is on a personal crusade to tackle the hills youth crisis.
He has moved into a shop in McBride Street to create a world-class computer gaming centre called Computers Made Fun in an attempt to get young people off the streets.
Mr Saunders said when he moved to Cockatoo more than two years ago he saw that there was a youth crisis not only in the town but also across the hills.
He said having worked in social services in the past he knew the challenges that many young people face.
But instead of sitting back and watching the crisis escalate, Mr Saunders decided to do something to help.
He has spent the past 12 months working to create something that would get kids off the street – a computer fun centre.
Mr Saunders took out a loan for more than $75,000 to set up the computer fun centre which he believes is helping the youth crisis.
The fun centre has 15 of the latest computers that young people can use most days between noon and 8pm, on weekends and school holidays.
Mr Saunders said youths could come into the centre and go on the internet or play some of the latest games.
He said it costs just $5 an hour, which is a small price to pay to get the youths off the streets and away from antisocial behaviour such as vandalism and graffiti.
La Trobe MP Jason Wood visited the centre on Friday last week to see first-hand the work Mr Saunders is doing for hills youths.
Mr Wood urged Mr Saunders to apply for a crime prevention grant of up to $50,000.
He said funding could be used to help Mr Saunders set up computer education programs.
Mr Saunders said the computer fun centre could also be used as a platform to teach youths the importance of social behaviour and interaction.
He said the centre had already proved popular with youths from Cockatoo, Gembrook, Pakenham, Avonsleigh, Belgrave and Emerald.