Blue Light Magazine Winter 2016

Issue 37 Winter 2016 www.bluelight.org.au PP 100018977

BLUE LIGHT ALTERNATIVE STRATEGY FOR TEENAGERS

CONTENTS

President's message 2 Denise Williams celebrates 25 years 3 Darebin volunteers 4 Welcome Graeme Anstey 5 BLAST: Blue Light Alternative Strategy for Teenagers 6 Debra Robertson awarded Australian Police Medal 12

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Yang Blue Light soccer program 13 Sunbury Blue Light keeps local kids involved and active 14 A snapshot of Canterbury Blue Light 17 Life Skills Programme Vale Senior Constable Norm McIntosh

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Kids Gone Fishin’ 19 Longreach Community For Youth Day 20 Hip hop hooray for Youth Week 22 Junior Detectives solve crime in Yuleba 24

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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Superintendent Debra Robertson

I am pleased to say that Blue Light Victoria is alive and well, supported by many wonderful activities, camps and positive day-to-day interactions with the youth of Victoria. Thank you for helping to make this occur!

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s all Blue Light volunteers know, the foundation to a safe and orderly community is strong youth engagement, which now appears to be a priority of not only the federal and state government, but Victoria Police, who will be running a Youth Forum in July to identify opportunities of better engagement.

As I ponder the many achievements of Blue Light Victoria including the branches we have across the state, I am so proud to be part of it and privileged to represent you in my role. Our future is looking bright.

The board of Blue Light welcomes our new board member, Graeme Anstey. Graeme brings with him a wealth of experience in the area of tax and business advisory. We are grateful to have his expertise as we continue to ensure Blue Light is underpinned with good governance and strong financial responsibility. This is supported by Karen Burns commencing a Diploma of Business (Governance); adding another thread to her bow of qualifications and further supporting the branches with her expertise.

Spread throughout the magazine are wonderful examples of successful grants 2

Blue Light has obtained supporting branches to run new and established programs unique to their environment.

A highlight of these grants was the ability for Blue Light to provide an opportunity for young people at risk in Campaspe PSA to attend a three-day camp adapted from the NZ Blue Light BLAST program. Further applications have been made in the hope that this program can be extended across more areas.

It is a fact that of the 21 policing divisions across Victoria, Blue Light Victoria currently has at least one branch in 18 of these. While this is fantastic, not all of the branches are currently active, however behind-the-scenes work is being done to reinvigorate where a need has been identified. There are also several pilot sites currently in planning and implementation.

As this edition goes to print I am busy planning a road trip to visit as many of our branches as possible. I am interested in learning more about what our areas are doing and meeting some of the police and community members involved.

It is important for the board to have a thorough understanding of the issues you are facing in your area so that we can plan for a solid and positive future.

National Blue Light Magazine Winter 2016

The Blue Light camp located in Maldon, Victoria, continues to run school programs addressing bike education but is now also running programs to support youth at risk. We must mention a big congratulations to Denise Williams who last month celebrated 25 years of service at the Victorian Blue Light Youth Camp.

Her dedication goes without question and we would like to publicly thank her for all of the effort she puts into making our camp the success it is.

We continue to work with RMIT and are currently in discussions about undertaking a research project through Criminology Research Grants, which will benefit not only Blue Light but also further strengthen relations with Victoria Police.

The opportunities are endless for our organisation and the timing is right for branches to get creative and do what we do best: support and engage with the youth of Victoria and help the future leaders of our state identify and reach their true potential.

DENISE WILLIAMS CELEBRATES 25 YEARS

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ssistant Manager Denise Williams at the Victorian Blue Light Youth Camp recently celebrated 25 years of employment at the camp. Denise is a vital part of the team, and is the Operational Manager, undertaking everything behind the scenes from staff rostering to camp bookings, special diets and activity schedules.

Her first role here at the camp was as a breakfast cook.

The Board of Directors would like to acknowledge the fantastic work ethic that Denise has; she has a huge amount of patience, is able to tackle any situation that arises and never seems to get too flustered.

Denise is a true Maldon ‘local’, having spent most of her life in the Maldon township, and Victoria Blue Light Youth Camps together with Blue Light Victoria looks forward to another 25 years!

Thank you, Denise.

To whom it m ay concern, As most of yo u know I reac hed another “Wow ”, wher milestone at e has that ti the camp th m e gone. is week, that I would just lik being 25 year e to thank yo s of employm u all for the op from startin ent. portunities I g my emplo ha ym ve been given ov ent at the ca Thank you fo m er p th as e years which ha a “dishwash r the genero er ” to my cu s allowed me us gift vouch The reason th rrent positio to come er, phone ca n as Assistan e camp runs lls an d w el t Manager. l so wishes. successfully I thank you all for believi is because o ng in the im f everyone’s Bring on the portance of time, effort next 25 year and endless o u r yo uth and what s, support; for I’l l g iv e the camp has it Sincerely my best sho this to offer. t, but don’t expect anoth Denise xx er photo un til then. J

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DAREBIN VOLUNTEERS

Darebin Blue Light has a number of volunteers that have been with us for many years.

Liz Ravalli and Susi Colaianni have been with the Blue Light for over 20 years.

Our volunteers do an amazing job and thoroughly enjoy themselves while doing so.

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e also have a number of young people that volunteer who originally used to attend the discos as participants when they were younger.

Two of our young volunteers have undertaken the Duke of Edinburgh Award, one having finished a few years ago and the other who began last year.

Here at Darebin we like to look after our volunteers. In 2014 our Blue Light branch won the Australia Day Award for best community group. This is due to the 4

dedication and passion of our volunteers.

We have also had several volunteers win individual awards such as Young Australian of the Year, Australian Citizen of the Year and Chief Commissioner Awards.

Last year we were invited to apply for volunteer grants where we could apply for a grant to assist volunteers.

We were invited by Federal Labour MP David Feeny’s office, and were recently contacted and informed that we had been successful; we have been awarded $3500. We were recognised

National Blue Light Magazine Winter 2016

with a morning tea on 3 June!

This money will go towards supplying our volunteers with new uniform jackets, paying for police checks, a new iPad on which to record our discos and help promote our events, and other items that will be decided upon together.

We are very excited about this grant, and it shows that the government is very supportive of the work of our volunteers and our Blue Light programs.

Stay tuned to find out how we use our money!

Calling all volunteers Blue Light branches across Victoria are always looking for great volunteers, both police members and community members. If you are able to volunteer your time in any capacity (it’s amazing what skills are out there!) please contact Karen at enquiries@bluelight.org.au.

We would love to hear from you.

Check out this old Blue Light poster from 1979!

WELCOME

GRAEME ANSTEY Blue Light would like to formally welcome Graeme Anstey on to the board of Blue Light Victoria.

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raeme brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience in finance. Graeme is part of the dynamic team at The Practice in Parkville.

There he is a Senior Manager in Tax and Business Advisory. CPA qualified, he has over 10 years’ experience in advising SME business owners in a variety of industries in second tier firms.

Graeme is passionate about growing the value of businesses through proactive and ongoing services, taking a solutions-based approach. He understands the importance of planning to achieve success.

We look forward to what the future holds with you on board! Thank you for joining the team.

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Call 1300 886 524 for more information.

Winter 2016 National Blue Light Magazine

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“ I hope this camp gives me a better perspective on how to enjoy life and appreciate the good things I do.”

Camp participant

BLAST BLUE LIGHT ALTERNATIVE STRATEGY FOR TEENAGERS MARCH 2016

Special thanks to Sidney Myer Foundation for making this possible

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES • build trust levels with others • learn strategies for problem solving • increase self confidence • set goals for the future • experience being trustworthy • learn about the importance of asking for support when required • learn about teamwork • experience being successful in overcoming challenges • have the opportunity to think of mistakes as learning situations • learn the importance of breaking skill acquisition into small chunks

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National Blue Light Magazine Winter 2016

DAY ONE On Friday 4 March a group of nine indigenous young people from Echuca headed off in the bus to make the twohour journey to the Victorian Blue Light Youth Camp in Maldon.

The aim of this weekend was to provide support and help to young people to learn skills that will help them increase their capacity to succeed.

The program has also been designed to empower young people and provide

them with strategies to enhance their social connectedness, improve their self-esteem, confidence and sense of belonging in their community.

Additionally a cultural component has been added to this camp to connect the young people back to their heritage.

On arrival to the camp the kids were extremely excited about the new surroundings and couldn’t quite decide what they wanted to do first.

After a quick look around, it was decided that a game of basketball was in order before dinner. It was quickly decided by the kids that the game should be adults versus kids. Some decided to take on the role of spectators whilst others immersed themselves into the game with a seriousness reserved for the Olympics. This activity was a great way to break the ice and use up a little energy.

I am not sure who won and I don’t think it really mattered in the end.

After a magnificent dinner of spaghetti bolognaise, garlic bread and chocolate mousse, everyone settled into their rooms and made their beds. After a little more play and exploring the grounds we all made our way to the conference room to do the welcome to country and play some icebreaker games.

One of the big challenges of being in a group of people is remembering people’s names, and Cathy our camp facilitator organised a few games including the ball toss to help everyone begin to remember names.

After this we did a few quick games involving lining up in alphabetical order, age order and height. The challenge here being that no one was able to talk during the process. It didn’t stop people from laughing in the process of trying to work out who was old and who was young.

The next game involved something that everyone seemed to love – lollies!

This involved a large bucket of Skittles and a series of topics related to the colours.

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Everyone had a handful of lollies which they then had to colour match to another person. When they found a match they both had to tell each other something about themselves relating to the colour topic. We learnt all sorts of interesting things about each other during this session and got to eat lollies.

The next game (Evolution with scissors paper rock) highlighted the acting talent amongst the group with everyone having to evolve from an egg, to a chicken, to a dinosaur, a cool dude and into an old man. Tyrese had everyone in fits of laughter with his take on a cool dude and an old man.

After a long day everyone retired to bed ready for a big weekend adventure beginning with bubble soccer and rock climbing in the morning.

There is talk that many stayed up till the early hours of the morning chatting, laughing and telling stories to each other.

DAY TWO Starting off the day with a big breakfast of pancakes put everyone in a great mood and ready for a huge day of fun and activities.

All of the kids could hardly contain their excitement at what we were all going to do today and kept asking “What’s next? What’s next?”

First up was the much anticipated bubble soccer. If you have ever done

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this you will have an appreciation of just how tiring this is.

It was no surprise to learn that not even this activity could tire out Tyrese and Colin who just kept going

National Blue Light Magazine Winter 2016

and going and going. It was fantastic to watch everyone having a great time and lots of laughs as they rolled around the field trying to kick the ball into the goals.

BENEFITS OF ROCK CLIMBING • Improves self esteem and confidence • Encourages youth to believe in themselves, their abilities, and their future • Develops concentration and cognitive functioning • Reduces stress and improves decision making • Improves motor skills • Creates trust and co‑operation • Fosters the development of critical thinking skills • Stimulates flow, and creativity

ROCK CLIMBING

This was another activity that the camp participants were very excited about giving a try. There was a mixture of emotions from overloaded excitement, fear, hesitation and feelings of unease.

Some took on this challenge with gusto and scaled the wall in record times, even organising races up the wall in the end to see who could touch the top first.

Although most took on this exercise with a positive attitude there were a few for whom doing this would be a very big challenge.

Fear of heights, lack of trust and fear of failure and having people make fun of you are some of the barriers to taking on a task like this. Luckily with this group we were able to conquer all of these with a mixture of encouragement, discussion and lots of cheering! Everyone had a go and climbed the wall and we were all very proud!

“ I’m more confident talking to people around me and the people I didn’t really know.”

Camp participant, age 13

NOT ALL FUN AND GAMES… WELL IT WAS, REALLY Day two of the camp involved a good mix of different types of activities, all of which were not only a lot of fun but had a purpose that closely aligned with the objectives of the camp program.

The tarp flip was a very simple one – everyone stands on the tarp and the objective is to flip it over to the other side without anyone getting off.

Sounds simple enough and I think that both teams thought this would be a piece of cake.

Our two teams quickly got to work and soon discovered that this was not as easy as it looked. In order to turn this tarp over it was going to take a few skills like communication, teamwork, problem solving, innovation, leadership, collaboration, trial and error and a little bit of patience.

With two completely different strategies being tested out Team Stuart were victors over Team Troy in what ended up being a very close finish.

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THE GREAT EGG DROP

The objective of this task was to come up with a design that would protect a raw egg from breaking when dropped from a great height.

Breaking into three groups each group was given the same supplies of an egg, straws, masking tape, paper and textas.

It was up to them to create a design that would beat all of the others when it came to dropping them off the balcony.

Each group used their problem solving skills and teamwork to come up with some amazing ideas.

Some ideas worked brilliantly, whereas others didn’t work as well in practice as was hoped.

A special thanks to Leon who kindly donated his time to drive the Life Education van up to the camp and

also became our special guest judge.

After numerous drops and second and third drops, the victors were team Taylah, Shanika, Stuart and Shelly with a highly sophisticated design lead by Stuart’s boomerang making skills.

engaged through discussions, games and videos.

The afternoon was spent walking down the Main Street in Maldon, window shopping and trying out the fantastic ice cream from the Maldon Ice Creamery followed by more basketball back at camp.

After a dinner of crumbed chicken and jelly for dessert, everyone headed

into the long room for a session on leadership and some more games, a movie and some colouring and drawing. These quieter times provided the perfect opportunity to engage in informal discussions and an opportunity for the young people to ask questions that they may not have at other times.

LIFE EDUCATION Blue Light has been fortunate to form many great partnerships with other organisations whose goals and objectives work in well with our own. One of these partnerships is Life Education. Life Education deliver a broadly focused health and drug education program. Their program addresses a range of issues in response to different needs.

In collaboration between Blue Light, Life Education, Victoria Police and the Njernda Corporation, the Think Twice program was chosen for this camp.

Think Twice covers issues such as short and long term physical, social and legal consequences of alcohol use, campaigns and community initiatives to educate people about the harms of alcohol use, laws governing the advertising, sale and use of alcohol, myths surrounding the use of alcohol and personal strategies to reduce alcohol-related harm. Zoe and Tom were able to keep everyone 10

National Blue Light Magazine Winter 2016

DAY THREE

BOOMERANG THE END… BUT ALSO THROWING JUST THE BEGINNING A highlight of the camp for adults and kids was the boomerang throwing, with many of the participants having never had the opportunity to throw one.

Day three was extremely hot so we got off to an early start down to the Maldon Football Club oval. The boomerang throwing was lead by Stuart and forms part of his Bull Roarer Program.

With some lessons in safety and some tips on technique the boomerangs began to fly. Of course it is not as easy as Stuart makes it look, and most of the boomerangs didn’t come back but as time went on everyone got better and better.

Once back at camp Stuart went through a presentation about how we can look at the world. He used a very powerful analogy with green and red filters and explained why it is so important to look through the green filter to find the good in all situations.

This notion was very powerful and this was evidenced through the feedback that was written by the young people at the end of the camp.

ADDED BONUS

Our time at camp sadly had to come to an end. There was not one person on this camp who didn’t benefit in some way. Getting to know these young people and learning about the struggles that they are going through has given staff a better understanding.

Sharing stories with Elders was also a big highlight. This program was a very successful collaboration between organisations and people that are determined to make a difference.

We thank Sidney Myer Foundation for providing the funding to make this possible. We would also like to thank the organisations involved including Blue Light Victoria, Victoria Police, Njernda Corporation, Life Education, Victorian Blue Light Youth Camps, and the Bull Roarer Program.

This would also not have been possible without the generous people that attended the camp and gave their time.

This program is designed specifically to provide help and support to the young people involved. What wasn’t expected was the added bonus of what this program provided to the staff that were involved.

“It was a great experience and opportunity to engage with not only the kids but the community Elders in an informal environment. I am very proud to have been involved in this camp. It was great to see the development and confidence within the group grow over the course of the camp into a cohesive team. It was rewarding to see the growth within the individuals over such a short space of time. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience and look forward to future successes.”

Acting Inspector Troy Hargadon

“ Look at a green filter not the red and trust people.” Camp participant, age 13

Thank you to Troy, Gilbert, Stuart, Cathy, Shelly, Paula, Simon, Bernie, Chris, Karen, Todd, Amy, Belinda, Zoe, Tom and Leon.

And lastly to the stars of our show the young people of Echuca: Eddie, Taylah, Shanika, Tyrese, Colin, Lucy, Pearl, Medika and Mataya. You were all fantastic and made everyone very proud! We look forward to an ongoing journey.

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DEBRA ROBERTSON AWARDED AUSTRALIAN POLICE MEDAL

Blue Light would like to congratulate their President Superintendent Debra Robertson on receiving the Australian Police Medal (APM). As an organisation we say thank you for all of your time, effort and enthusiasm and know that you have truly made a difference. You are an inspiration to many.

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uperintendent Robertson has been a dedicated member of Victoria Police (VICPOL) for more than 32 years. She is a consistent, successful leader who has achieved significant results for VICPOL and the community.

She has successfully achieved improved working conditions for members, particularly working parents, through successfully challenging work practices and achieving flexible parttime hours for operational police.

Within The Police Association Victoria she has forged the way for diverse thinking, greatly improving policing for members.

She is a mentor to many, is dedicated to the advocacy of women in policing, and is generous in her engagement.

In 2003, she was acknowledged for her contribution to the development and future of VICPOL when she was awarded the ‘Excellence in Policing’ Bravery Award by the Australasian Council of Women in Policing.

She continues to engage with the community above and beyond the requirement of her position through her presidency of Blue Light Victoria.

She is a highly intelligent and educated person who displays great empathy towards her colleagues and the community.

Superintendent Robertson’s willingness to assist and support others, as well as develop change strategies, has helped create a healthier and more productive work environment within VICPOL.

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National Blue Light Magazine Winter 2016

YANG BLUE LIGHT SOCCER PROGRAM Yang Blue Light have been running their annual soccer program through primary schools in the Ararat area for the past five years. The purpose for the event is to interact and build a rapport with the children and to remove any apprehension primary school children may have when approaching police, not to mention to have some fun in doing so.

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enior Constable Kelvin Laugesen assisted in running the soccer carnival in Ararat along with a number of other members who also assisted throughout the week.

The teams were made up of seven on a side and games of about 20 minutes or so each. The children were enthusiastic and all had a great time.

Each school participating in the event received a bag of sports goods, including bats and balls, to take back with them. These were provided by

local businesses in Ararat as well as the Ararat Police Station in appreciation for their participation.

This soccer program was run over a period of five days, from 26 to 30 October 2015.

11 local schools from Ararat including a number of country schools were invited to attend the program. The event was held at the Alexandra Oval in Ararat. A number of local schools took the opportunity to walk to the event due to the ideal weather conditions.

Lake Bolac P- 12 College along with Constable Melanie Hunter and Senior Constable Kelvin Laugesen.

Approximately 700 school children took part in the event.

This is the fifth year this program has been run by the Ararat Police.

We have had great support and feedback from the schools who took part and plan to have another event this year.

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SUNBURY BLUE LIGHT KEEPS LOCAL KIDS INVOLVED AND ACTIVE

Whilst there are numerous sporting activities for young people of all ages in Sunbury, there are not as many other recreational services especially for children of primary school age.

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National Blue Light Magazine Winter 2016

Superheroes and villains, courtesy Star Weekly April 2016.

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unbury Blue Light has been running since 1979 and is an established event on the calendar for the youth of Sunbury, looked forward to by many.

Blue Light provides a unique activity whereby members of Victoria Police take the opportunity to foster positive relationships with local youth, whilst also working closely with valued volunteers and other local community groups.

Blue Light endeavours to develop positive self-esteem, confidence, healthy social skills, respect, independence, leadership skills and youth empowerment.

The discos provide an opportunity for children to meet other young people who they otherwise may not, having come from the many schools within Sunbury and neighbouring areas.

It is a healthy physical activity, which contributes to the social and emotional development of young people.

Sunbury Blue Light also provides young people on the junior committee (generally teenagers, once patrons themselves) with meaningful roles in the preparation and running of the discos. All junior volunteers are consulted regarding which duties they wish to perform at the discos and do so with great enthusiasm. They are also given roles which aim to educate and instil accountability such as counting the takings specific to their post for the evening.

It was with community focus and these core values in mind that Sunbury Blue Light Disco was recently announced as a recipient of a Stockland Community Grant. The Stockland

Community Grants are provided to recognise Australian community groups’ contribution to their local community and support positive initiatives in the areas of health and wellbeing, education and community connection.

The grant money we are to receive from Stockland, together with other fundraising efforts planned over the next six months, will be applied towards our initiative to purchase music video equipment for the disco. Yay! We think this a fantastic achievement (even if we do say so ourselves!) when considering that less than 12 months ago Sunbury Blue Light was on the verge of closure. It has been through the efforts of a rejuvenated committee of police members and valued volunteers that we have gained support of local business, such as Barry Plant Sunbury who generously sponsor our advertising sign boards, and the local newpapers Sunbury Leader and Star Weekly.

We recently featured in the Star Weekly in the lead up to our Superheroes and Villains themed disco held in April. Check out some of the fantastic costumes and fun had at that disco!

It is financial and in-kind assistance of this nature which will enable the committee to improve the quality and ensure the viability of the Sunbury Blue Light Disco into the future.

We look forward to showing you our music video set up once the project has been realised.

Rose Le Guier Sunbury Blue Light Disco Treasurer

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www.salvos.org.au CREDIT CARD DONATIONS 13 72 58

A SNAPSHOT OF CANTERBURY BLUE LIGHT

Since its inception more than 33 years ago New Zealand Blue Light has grown in leaps and bounds with a whopping 74 branches currently operating across the North and South Islands as well as in the picturesque Chatham Islands. We really have come far from those early days of Blue Light discos to now being able to offer a wide variety of local, regional and national programmes.

We are so inspired by each of our branches, who have been innovative and resourceful in developing and modifying their local programmes and events to meet the needs and interests of the youth in their area. To prove just how awesome our branches are, here is a little snapshot of what one of them, Canterbury Blue Light, has been up to recently.

TAKE A KID FLYING

Blue Light’s recent National Take a Kid Flying Day saw Canterbury Blue Light accompanying 15 very deserving Year 7-8 students on a whirlwind day trip through the skies above the east coast of the South Island.

The 11 to 13-year-olds were students from seven local schools who had been nominated as a reward for doing well in their school or community.

The day dawned perfect and the very excited students (and even more excited parents) met at Rangiora Aerodrome.

They flew in five privately owned planes – destination Hanmer Springs, with a landing at Culverden to swap around seats.

Upon arrival at Hanmer Springs they were met with a fantastic picnic lunch and some activities with the highlight being a great round of footie in the sweltering North Canterbury heat – yes, it was 29 degrees! The return to Rangiora was equally as fun and the views and scenery were amazing.

A huge thanks goes out to local aircraft owners for their time and efforts and to Constables Matt Swaney and Ken Terry for organising the day.

SURFS UP AT SUMNER BEACH

It was a beautiful autumn day with a small swell at Sumner Beach when seven young men and six young women from the east side of town were taken surfing for the first time.

They hit the water, accompanied by Constables Matt Swaney, Ken Terry and Craig Roberts. Everyone was able to experience the sensation of standing on a board – even if it was only for a second or two! The on-thewater activities were followed by fish and chips under the clocktower at Sumner Beach. This was a great day for all involved!

PACKHORSE HUT TRAMP

The day started with an enthusiastic bunch of 16 young men from Avondale Primary School, their Deputy Principal Brian Thompson and Constables Matt Swaney, Barry Campbell and Sergeant Andrea Dahl all ready for a day of exploration.

The Packhorse Hut is an 8km round trek with a fair bit of climbing and spectacular views of the Lyttelton Harbour and surrounding hills.

The haul up to the hut took a little longer than planned but the fabulous subway lunch was appreciated and the boys took off at a gallop on the way home, cutting half an hour off their walk in.

This was an awesome day, particularly for those who didn’t even know there were walking tracks and huts so close to Christchurch.

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LIFE SKILLS PROGRAMME Research has shown that activity-based learning is an ideal method for developing our young people. Taking our youth away from the many distractions present in their everyday lives often gives them the space to reflect and to gain perspective about themselves and the world around them and has proven to be incredibly effective in teaching them ways to manage and improve their lives now and in the future.

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everal years ago New Zealand Blue Light took heed of this empirical evidence and in partnership with the New Zealand Defence Force and New Zealand Police developed the Blue Light Life Skills programme. The programme centres on a one-week live-in experiential learning camp that focuses on leadership training, practical skills, self-confidence, team-building and leaderless tasks. At the end of the week the youth participate in a military parade

Congratulations to our latest batch of Life Skills graduates.

style graduation attended by family, friends and community members.

On average, we run 15-17 Life Skills Courses a year at various locations across the country. For the past year we have also been able to offer participants the opportunity to earn up to 12 NCEA credits, eight at NCEA level 1 and an additional four at level 2. So far we have awarded over 4000 credits!

The course is targeted at those between the ages of 14 and 17 years’ old who are healthy and physically fit enough

“I enjoyed this course thoroughly, definitely appreciate the hard work put in by all the staff would definitely do it again and recommend to others. Thanks!”

to participate in the full range of activities offered during the week. Ideal participants have included those who have the makings of a future leader, are interested in joining the services as a career or lack direction and certainty in their young lives.

Success stories from the camps have been numerous with more than 50 young people so far having gone on to enjoy rewarding careers in the Defence Force. Most telling for us though in regards to the efficacy of the programme is how much the kids seem to love it.

“Words cannot express how grateful I am to be on this course. It was a humbling experience and I have come away with a lot more skills than I arrived with.”

VALE SENIOR CONSTABLE NORM McINTOSH

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lue Light would be nothing without the tireless efforts of its members, who willingly volunteer their time to the youth of New Zealand.

Therefore, it is always sad to say goodbye to one of our own and even more so when that individual has passed away so suddenly as our mate Norm did in March.

I want to take the time to remember this man, a good friend and colleague who was a leader in his community and through all of Blue Light; Senior Constable Norm McIntosh passed away suddenly on 10 March 2016.

Norm was a stalwart of Blue Light and positively impacted and changed 18

generations of young people in Ngaruawahia, where he served his community with a dedication and passion that was infectious.

It has been an honour to know Norm and I will miss his larger than life presence at all those events, and personally miss his phone calls where he would help me with direction on Blue Light and life.

Goodbyes are not forever, nor are they the end, they only mean we'll miss you mate, until we meet again.

Nga mihi nui Norm.

Rod Bell (ONZM) Blue Light CEO

National Blue Light Magazine Winter 2016

Norman McIntosh (Norm) enjoying a well-deserved break alongside Blue Light CEO Rod Bell and at Blue Light’s most recent Rainbows End Fun Day.

KIDS GONE FISHIN’

For any fishing enthusiast New Zealand is truly the El Dorado of the Pacific.

No matter where you happen to be in our little corner of the world you will never be more than a hop, skip and a jump away from a prime spot to drop your line and try your luck at catching a little something for the dinner table.

This very sweet young lady seemed a little bit in awe of what she brought up on her line, but in the words of Graeme Sinclair, “What a beauty!”.

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nfortunately, for many of our kids, proximity to a good fishing spot does not guarantee them the chance to experience the fun and excitement of reeling in a fish or two.

Thanks to the generous support of New Zealand Blue Light’s Patron and TV fishing personality Graeme Sinclair, and sponsor TradeZone, many of our Blue Light branches have been able to organise a free Kids Gone Fishin’ (KGF) event for their local community on an annual basis.

Blue Light introduced the KGF event some 15 years ago with the intention of ensuring that as many children as possible got the opportunity to have a go at fishing. The event also ensured that families, especially fathers and their children, had a cost-free way to spend quality time together, while enjoying a favoured Kiwi pastime.

Since then we have seen the event

Fishing legend Graeme Sinclair chilling with a young family who, along with over 600 other keen anglers, were trying their luck at Wellington’s waterfront.

grow in both number of locations, and attendees and the kids, big and small, just love it!

We always ask that people bring their own rod and tackle if they can and we’ll supply the bait. However, we never leave a child empty handed for long, with a decent number of hand lines to spare for those who don’t have their own equipment.

What doesn’t change between locations is the presence of local police and Blue Light volunteers ready and willing to bait a hook, tie a line or hand out a spot prize or two.

And because we know that fishing requires a lot of patience and hard work, we always round out the day with a bit of kai (food) in the form of a good old fashioned Kiwi barbecue.

“…we never leave a child empty handed for long, with a decent number of hand lines to spare for those who don’t have their own equipment.”

Depending on the location of the event the kids may find themselves casting for snapper off the local wharf or fly fishing for a juicy salmon or trout in the depths of one of our many rivers or lakes.

So far this year we have seen well attended KGF events held in Wellington, Nelson, Turangi and Edgecumbe among others, with many more scheduled in the months to come.

Winter 2016 National Blue Light Magazine

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LONGREACH COMMUNITY FOR YOUTH DAY Longreach Blue Light Coordinators Constable TJ Baker and Constable Ben Mortlock organised a massive community event for Youth Week 2016.

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eld at the Eagle Street Skate Park in Longreach, it truly was a community effort, with dozens of businesses and organisations volunteering their time, money and resources. The end result was a fabulous event that was totally FREE for the young people of the area.

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OUR THANKS TO EVERYONE INVOLVED! Queensland Fire & Emergency Services, Queensland Ambulance Service, Longreach Regional Council, North & West Remote Health, Rotary Longreach, Longreach State Emergency Service, Centacare Central Queensland, Coca Cola Amital, Member for Gregory MP Lachlan Miller, Rapad Employment Services Queensland, Lions Group Longreach, Uniting Church Longreach, Merino Bakery, Spinafex, Royal Flying Doctors Health, Longreach Regional Council, Our Lady’s

National Blue Light Magazine Winter 2016

Catholic Primary School, Longreach State Primary School, Police Media, Longreach Blue Light, QBLAI State Office, St Bridgid’s Catholic Church, Longreach Junior Youth, Longreach Senior Rugby League, Longreach Netball Association, Bullseye Boxing, Longreach School of Dance, Longreach Scouts, Illfracombe Coffee Van, West FM/4LG, ABC Radio, Flexi Hire, Outback Vac, Breeze Shearing and Ice Supply, Relationships Australia, and C&K Kindergarten.

Winter 2016 National Blue Light Magazine

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HIP HOP

HOORAY

FOR YOUTH WEEK Blue Light teamed up with Hills District PCYC to help deliver a Hip Hop Dance Competition for Youth Week 2016.

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leven teams competed in the Junior and Senior sections, with five showcase artists also performing on the day.

This made for a fantastic day of great entertainment; all in attendance were impressed with the quality and talent of the entrants.

QBLAI sponsored the two major first prizes, and attended on the day.

Fortitude Valley Blue Light set up their MERV Trailer, so kids wanting to chill out 22

could make use of the Playstations – a big thanks to Sergeant Rob Duffner from Fortitude Valley. State Office provided a jumping castle to keep the little kids entertained, giving away balloons and stickers.

Resident Hills District PCYC cool dude Namila Davui did a great job organising the teams and being MC on the day.

QBLAI Directors Sergeant Paul Lincoln, Sergeant Leanne Eggins and

National Blue Light Magazine Winter 2016

Jenny Monk attended as volunteers and to present the two major prizes.

Urban Energy Dance Studio cleaned up on the day, with teams winning both the Junior and Senior Divisions.

Funsize took out the Junior first prize, and Forgotten Jesters won the Senior first prize.

All of the competitors were great, but these two crews were AWESOME! Congrats.

Winter 2016 National Blue Light Magazine

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JUNIOR DETECTIVES SOLVE CRIME IN

A crime has been committed in Yuleba!

Who can help Policeman Luke?

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endemere Blue Light, in conjunction with the Maranoa Regional Council, recently held a Junior Detectives Day for the children of Yuleba.

The children arrived early for a typical ‘police’ afternoon tea of doughnuts and fruit, not knowing what the rest of the day held for them. After a brief presentation of police IDs, notebooks and police caps, Senior Constable Luke Matthews received a phone call notifying him that the Yuleba Police Station had been broken into. Luckily for him his 25 Junior Detectives were ready to help!

The Junior Detectives were able to find the clues, interview locals and solve the case after finding pieces of a CCTV picture of the offender which had been strewn all over Yuleba.

Once all the pieces of the puzzle were found, the baddy was identified and arrested by the Junior Detectives, before being placed in the Yuleba Police Watch House. Case closed!

A big THANK YOU to the following people for making this event possible:

Senior Constable Bendemere Blue Light Luke Matthews Coordinator and Junior Detective Trainer Penny Howland Maranoa Council (who supplied the police caps and lanyards)

Senior Constable Roma District Crime Rochelle Gillett Prevention Coordinator and Assistant Junior Detective Trainer Jordan Tiley Maranoa Council (who played our ‘baddy’) Staff from the Yuleba Post Office and Yuleba General Store, along with Lauren Matthews, for being our witnesses Senior Constable Matthews would also like to thank Senior Constable Dave McNab from Julia Creek Police, for giving him the idea.

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National Blue Light Magazine Winter 2016

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