THE Broken Hill Police Citizens Youth Club turned 80 last Friday, with the old building in Galena Street being host to a birthday party full of kids and the people who care about them.
On display were relics of bygone days – tarnished trophies inscribed with the names of children now grown, and black-and-white photographs of young boys boxing under the watchful eyes of policemen.
Ben Hobby, the CEO of PCYC NSW was there, too, having flown in from Sydney.
For him, the whole purpose of the organisation is to marry the past to the future.
“My grandfather was born in Broken Hill in 1919,” he said. “The world was reshaping. It was the end of the first World War.”
“What I find amazing is that two months before this PCYC was opened in 1945, the Germans surrendered in World War II, and two months after it was opened the Japanese surrendered.
“It’s incredible to think that somebody had the foresight, at that particular time in our history, to build something of substance for the community.”
The fourth-oldest PCYC still operating, Broken Hill owes its longevity, said Mr Hobby, to the local community’s need to care for its own, a strength born of isolation and the knowledge that nobody else is coming to help.
“That’s what PCYC is all about,” he said.
“It’s about the bringing together of all the best elements of the community, so that we can work towards making the next generation better.”
The original mission of the PCYC – to divert kids from the delinquent life – has softened over the years. But, as Mr Hobby sees it, the theory still holds true; expose kids to the community that loves them, and they’ll be less likely to let those people down.
“You don’t want to damage a community you feel like you are a part of,” he said. “So engaging young people with the community is our goal.
“I mean, look at this today. You could easily let it pass you by. But what it represents is an enduring legacy for future generations.”
