CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS
Ms WITTY (Melbourne) (16:14): One of the great privileges of representing Melbourne is meeting the organisations and community leaders who work every day to create opportunities for others. Recently, I had the opportunity to visit two organisations that reflect the very best of our community—Good Cycles in North Melbourne and Jump Left in the CBD. While they work in different ways, both are driven by a simple idea: that everyone deserves the chance to participate, contribute and thrive.
Located in North Melbourne, Good Cycles is a social enterprise focused on creating employment opportunities for young people facing barriers to work, championed by their CEO, Kirra, and her incredible team. From short-term work to training and employment pathways, Good Cycles has helped over 800 young people into employment since it started in 2013. When asked if I would run for the seat of Melbourne, one of the reasons I said yes was so I could champion young people to get the best start in life.
Organisations like Good Cycles are ensuring that every young person has the hand up they need to get a good start to their work life. In the beautiful heritage building Donkey Wheel House in Melbourne, you will find many different organisations working to improve people's lives. You'll also find Jump Left, an art studio founded by Sim Luttin.
Sim is doing incredible work creating opportunities for artists with disabilities. A safe space for people to express their creativity alongside others and that welcomes their uniqueness, Jump Left shows that we are at our best when we are inclusive and open to our differences. It was great to meet the artists and hear about how important these kinds of places are to their lives.
Melbourne is a creative heart of our country and organisations like Jump Left help ensure it remains that way by creating spaces where everyone can participate and belong. Good Cycles and Jump Left are just two examples of the extraordinary work taking place right across Melbourne. I'm proud to represent an electorate that is home to social enterprises, community organisations and charities working every day to improve people's lives and strengthen our community.
These organisations reflect the values that make Melbourne such a special place: compassion, creativity, inclusion and a commitment to help others succeed. To everyone at Good Cycles and Jump Left, thank you for the work you do. The opportunities you create, the support you provide and the communities you build are making a real difference in people's lives and help make Melbourne an even better place to call home.