According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the 2006 census showed that of Muslims subsiding in New South Wales, 49.7% of those were under the age of 25. This statistic is in stark contrast to the general population of New South Wales where only 35.6% were under the age of 25.

The above statistics clearly shows the paramount importance of establishing such a youth centre to help serve the needs of the increasing number of Muslim youth in Sydney. Therefore, this project was initially drafted as a direct response to the challenge to meet these demands as they arise rather than waiting for a crisis point to be reached.



Over the past 40 years, the LMA has developed a vast array of resources which have been made available to its constituents of various nationalities through its welfare, educational, cultural and religious departments.

The LMA remains committed at representing the interests of all Muslims at the local and regional level and as such, has vigorously worked towards establishing such a youth centre to assist in addressing some of the needs of the Australian Islamic community.

The Muslim youth of Sydney today will be its citizens of the future. Therefore, the centre's vision is to ensure the youth of today have a chance to grow up in an environment that makes them proud of their homes, families and country.

The Vision

In 1996, The Lebanese Muslim Association laid the foundation for a parcel of land to be purchased to build Australia’s largest Islamic youth centre. The four storey, 600 square metre multi purpose youth centre located conveniently adjacent to well known Ali ibn Abu Taleb Mosque in Lakemba will enable the LMA to expand on the vast community services it already offers by providing cultural, education, employment and recreational programs for young people aged predominately between 12 and 24 years who live in the Sydney Metropolitan Area.

The idea of establishing a youth centre in such a location arose in order to help educate Muslim youth using Australian values and the Islamic faith in tandem to promote ‘mateship’, honesty and harmony while at the same time helping to provide windows of opportunities for such people to successfully integrate and contribute to Australian society and its way of life.

It is envisaged that the youth centre will play a pivotal role in assisting first and second generation Muslim Australians in a manner that meets any immediate needs, while also working at developing longer term plans to assist local youth to become more socially, economically and emotional independent and responsible members of their community.

On its completion, recreational activities will be offered 5 days per week at the premises, with a mix of daytime and evening activities, during School Terms and during school holidays. The centre will also offer referral, advocacy and support to counselling, health services, legal and other youth specific services.

In today’s society, location has a major bearing on the success of any organisation. Located
at 84 Wangee Rd in the South-West Sydney suburb of Lakemba and next to one of Australia’s largest and most well-established mosques, the LMA hopes to connect the Ali ibn Abu Taleb Masjid (Lakemba Mosque) with the youth centre in an attempt to link the two together in order for them to play an integral role in developing services and programmes for the community.

In addition to this, the youth centre initiative was initially undertaken in response to the LMA recognising the need to ensure that young people have a secure, well-run and self-sustaining venue for healthy and constructive sport, leisure and recreational activities. As we move well
into the 21st century, it has become more evident that young people desperately need to feel
a sense of belonging in today's fast-paced and often high-pressured world.

Thus, the youth centre being situated at such close proximity to a place of worship will
provide the community with an important and vital new infrastructure to help build community spirit and to foster strength of character and purpose in this busy suburban centre of the
future.

Click Here for a full description of the Multi-Purpose Youth Centre