HORSHAM'S Nexus youth centre will close its doors after one last event on Friday night.
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Grampians Community Health chief executive Greg Little said the centre has been a long-running service that provided a "fantastic" avenue for young people to interact.
"Nexus is very special for Horsham and has worked very well for our community over the years," he said.
"It has been a space they have been able to call their own and provided a pathway for young people to engage with each other.
"For our young migrant community, it has been a really good way for them to get to know other local people in the city."
Mr Little said the centre has undergone many changes over the years to evolve with what the young people wanted out of the service.
"Earlier it was about the bands, the equipment and wanting a pool table, but it moved to DJs because that is what they were asking for," he said. "It provided young people access to equipment that they would usually never see. It is space they have been able to call their own.
"One of the main functions for the centre was around its music and event performance role. It provided young people with the skills on how to host events, how to perform and work the equipment to put on pub quality gigs for when they are older."
If we want to create the leaders of tomorrow and for them to stay in our community then its incredibly important we listen to them.
- Greg Little
However, Mr Little said it has reached a point where young people believe that investment in their group could be done better. He said Horsham Rural City Council's youth strategy has shown a youth centre was not the way forward.
"There are great community infrastructure that we need to take advantage of such as the parks, stake parks and soundshell. Those venues and other areas are where young people naturally want to go to do youth activities rather than one hub," he said.
"The youth are our future. I am an old bloke now and for me to say this is what young people need would be arrogant. They have bright minds and we have to be flexible in the way they want to engage.
"If we want to create the leaders of tomorrow and for them to stay in our community then its incredibly important we listen to them."
Mr Little said the final Nexus event will be on Friday night from 6pm.
"While Nexus isn't being replaced like-for-like, there will still be things happening for young people," he said.
Horsham Rural City's community wellbeing director Kevin O'Brien said a youth engagement and planning officer will work with different service providers and young people to identify new ways to deliver services.
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