Andrew and Carol Godden, who are pastors at the Oberon Christian Life Centre, have been running a Youth Program with a team of youth leaders for over two decades.

The group meets every Friday evening between 7 and 10pm at the Old Scout Hall next to the Golf Club.

The Youth Group is open to any young person from the years of 7-12 in high school.

It often includes a few school leavers, and often has between 15-30 young people attending on Friday nights. Carol Godden said that they are extremely committed to the young people in the town and often use money out their own pocket to fund activities for the group.

“In recent years the Scouting Association of NSW have found it necessary that we pay rent,” Carol said. “We ask the young people for a gold coin donation, and lots don’t pay and we never make them, and we just have to make up the difference.”

Carol said that the Youth Group organises varied activities, such as going to the beach, ice skating, rock climbing, movies, ten pin bowling and have visited local swimming holes for picnics.

“We have hired buses for a couple of huge youth events at the Acer Arena, which has cost us around $1000 each time. To raise money we all sold chocolate”, said Carol.

Carol said the Youth Group has also been active at the Oberon High School over the years, running numerous events for the entire school at lunchtimes.

“We have organised free lunches, concerts and activities, with the help of local businesses, because we are genuinely interested in the young people of our community”, she said.

Carol thinks its great that Oberon Council is supporting activities and education for young people.

She hopes that the Life Centre Youth Group and the new youth centre wil communicate and support each other, to give Oberon’s youth optimum opportunities to socialise, learn and have fun.