Doonside Festival returns
as a Christmas Market
Postponed twice due to COVID restrictions , the popular Doonside Festival has certainly had a bad run , but locals will not miss out on celebrating local community fun with next ’ s month Doonside Christmas market .
Blacktown City Council partnered with the Doonside Festival Committee and Blacktown City Lions Club to organise the special market which will be an opportunity to celebrate the district coming out of lockdown and the season ’ s festivities .
“ Celebrate your community spirit and pick up some last-minute gifts at the Doonside Christmas Market ,” a committee spokesperson said .
“ The market will feature kids rides as well as food trucks and market stalls .”
Myriad stalls with plenty of surprises from local stallholders will include Christmas treats , foods , gifts , jewellery , hampers , pet presents , decorations , paintings , books , candles , cards , handbags , sensory toys and more .
The Christmas market is a free event .
It will be held on Sunday , 12 December in Doonside , corner of Hill End Road and Graham Street , from 9am to 2pm .
A dream come true for new youth reps
Our city has two new youth ambassadors , with Bilvika Abburi and Nandika Prasad being announced our young leaders for 2021-22 at a Bowman Hall presentation night .
Bilvika , from The Ponds High School , and Nandika Prasad , from Evans High School , now proudly represent Blacktown City after impressing a panel of judges through several rounds of interviews , assessments and public speaking sessions .
A total of seven students were finalists vying for the prestigious role .
Calling it a “ dream come true ” Bilvika said she had been looking forward to this for two-to-three years .
“ I ’ ve been to citizenship ceremonies and I ’ ve heard youth ambassadors talk , and , as a 16-year-old in Year 12 , this was my last shot ,” she said .
Born in the UK to Indian parents , Bilvika said receiving Australian Citizenship with her family this year drove home her connection to Blacktown City .
“ Blacktown has always stood out for me . The people here are incredible and we have a diverse community of 188 cultures .
“ From my school being super supportive , to Council and to positions like the Youth Ambassador and Youth Advisory Committee , I have been given opportunities I don ’ t think I would have received anywhere else .”
Eighteen-year-old Nandika , also in Year 12 , applied for the program alongside her cousin after hearing about the role from her teachers . “ I have lived in Blacktown my entire life and it is the one thing that has been constant for me . I thought this would be an opportunity to give back to the City
Proud role models : Nandika Prasad ( left ) and Bilvika Abburi are Blacktown City ’ s Youth Ambassadors for 2021-22 .
that has given me so much ,” she said .
“ I want to take on a role that will make me feel like a more active and valuable person in society .
“ I ’ m a woman of colour who is very passionate , so I think that is very inspiring for other women of colour . It ’ s empowering because we don ’ t really see a lot of people that look like us in the media .”
Bilvika ’ s raft of experience includes being the assistant advertising manager of VolunTutor , a non-profit organisation that provides free tutoring for disadvantaged students ; the founder and editor-in-chief of her school newspaper , The Ponds High School Gazette , among numerous school leadership roles .
Nandika is school captain of Evans High and has represented her peers in leadership roles throughout her school years , including organising International Women ’ s Day events , as well as days for autism and anti-bullying .
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8 ISSUE 09 // DECEMBER 2021 theindependentmagazine . com . au BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT