Liberal Party promises to back Ice Factor program for troubled youth at Thebarton Ice Arena
THE future of a crucial community support program for troubled teenagers at the Thebarton Ice Arena will be secured if the Liberal Party wins power at the state election.
SA 2018
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THE future of a crucial community support program for troubled teenagers at the Thebarton Ice Arena will be secured if the Liberal Party wins power at the state election.
The Ice Factor program, which supports disadvantaged children with a crash course in skating, has been running for 13 years and was created by Adelaide lawyer Marie Shaw. It also teaches life skills that show students how improve their self-esteem.
Today, the future of the program — run mostly by volunteers through the not-for-profit SA Ice Sports Federation — was bolstered with backing from the Liberal Party and a lease lifeline from arena owner David Lee.
Mr Lee has agreed to extend the current lease by five years from April 2020 as long as the government in power agrees to underwrite the lease.
Shadow Minister for Education John Gardner said financial support would help the critical program do good work for years to come.
“(We) will work with the Ice Factor to help them in their discussions with their landlord to extend their lease a further five years until 2025,” he said.
“We will also continue to provide direct financial support to the Ice Factor, as happens at the moment from the Education Department, as well as the support provided by schools.”
Marie Shaw QC was thrilled with the news and said she was “grateful” for the reassuarance.
“From our point of view we can reassure our 17 high schools that have trusted their disengaged and vulnerable children into our care to continue to support them,” she said.
“We can continue our other community-based program and we can continue our voluntary efforts to run this ice area centrally for the benefit of those who are disadvantaged.
“We remain committed to trying to develop this ice arena which we can now do with (Mr Lee’s) support for the benefit of all South Australian’s.”
Mr Lee said the program was close to his heart.
Since 2005, more than 2500 troubled teenagers from 17 high schools have skated through the program.
There will be a 60-day window beginning March 18 to finalise negotiations.
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