The Don Bosco Youth Centre & Hostel has been part of Brunswick since 1939. That's 87 years. The Hostel offers accommodation for young men aged 18–24. The Youth Centre runs free after-school, weekend and holiday programs for hundreds of kids a week, with a pool, basketball courts, table tennis, trampolines — the works. Families also use it for birthday parties, because it's actually affordable, unlike most venues. Now it's listed for sale.

We are calling on Merri-bek City Council and the Victorian State Government to urgently work together to find a way to ensure this centre remains part of the fabric of our community.

Why Don Bosco matters

Families come from well beyond Brunswick for this, because there's very little else like it anywhere nearby, free or low-cost, for young people. If it closes, that gap won't be filled somewhere else. It will just disappear.

Some of the families who rely on it most are the ones who can least afford the alternative. Free and low-cost programs aren't a nice-to-have; for many kids, they're the difference between taking part and missing out. Disadvantaged children and young people have the most to lose here, because they have the fewest other options.

Merri-bek is growing fast. 

Free, welcoming, undercover spaces for kids and families from all walks of life have never been more vital to the wellbeing of our community.

What we're asking for

We are asking Merri-Bek Council and the State Government to do everything in their power to keep this centre open and in community hands.

Sign this petition to tell Merri-bek City Council and the Victorian State Government: don't let Don Bosco Youth Centre fall into developer hands. Please act now, while there is still time to save it.