Griffith Community Centre and Griffith Police Youth Command have joined in a bid to secure funding for a Local Drug Action Team (LDAT) if they can get more community partners on board.

There are 240 LDATs Australia wide with another 40 openings remaining to apply for the up to $40 000 in funding for community run programs, and Griffith could soon benefit from this investment.

"Our aim is to design a program that gives children social connection and gives them the opportunity to do something once or twice a week after school," Peta Dummett co-ordinator at the Griffith Community Centre said.

"We are looking to do anything activity related that gets kids engaged in something positive in the community."

To be eligible for the funds, five to seven partners are required to design and implement the program so Ms Dummett encouraged anyone in the community with an interest to help to get in touch.

"We want partners who want to create a long term project that supports young people through offering a number of activities to children in the community," she said.

"You can be an individual community member, sporting groups, NGOs, youth groups, employment services or job networks, businesses or teachers, anyone who wants to participate and get involved."

Police school liaison officer Senior Constable Alex Davies said that in order to reduce the likelihood of youth getting involved in drug and alcohol related crimes and behaviours, it was vital to get them engaged in the community.

"We have a lot of drug and alcohol support in the town but we don't have many facilities or groups that are engaged at the big-picture, preventative level," Senior Constable Davies said.

"It's important to try to engage rather than not do anything at all.

"Kids who need the attention and connection come to these programs without fail, they just need the activities offered to them."

To express interest or find out more, people are encouraged to contact the Griffith Community Centre as soon as possible.

MORE NEWS