PCYC Queensland Team Connect Newsletter - February 2019

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Team Connect

Team Newsletter February 2019

Message from CEO Firstly, our thoughts continue to be with the entire North Queensland region following Townsville’s unprecedented floods. The damage has been immense and as the clean-up and recovery efforts continue, we are humbled by the enormous impact of this devastating event on families and communities.

To meet the needs of young people in the Townsville community, PCYC Queensland are amongst several key partners involved in the newly formed Townsville Youth Recovery Task Force (YRTF). The task force’s focus will be to meet recovery needs of young people through activities and programs such as free ‘youth pop-up events’ and will be delivered with the help of our Indigenous Programs team.

On a positive side, I would like to recognise our many members and volunteers around the state who received Australia Day nominations and awards, among them ‘Young Cultural Person of the Year’, ‘Young Citizen of the Year’ and ‘Order of Australia Medal’ winners. Congratulations to you all! I am incredibly proud of the number of PCYC Queensland members who are publicly recognised for their achievements.

Townsville takes on the big clean up The communities of North Queensland have been deeply affected in recent weeks by the devastating floods and many organisations faced large clean ups. On 5 February, PCYC Townsville took on the big task of club clean up! Many hands make light work and it was great to see members of the community coming along to help. PCYC Townsville would like to thank the hard work and amazing team spirit of everyone! A ‘donate to support’ pop up will feature on our website shortly to assist with fundraising from our wonderful external supporters to further assist with recovery efforts.

I know there are so many more congratulations, staff to welcome and events happening across the organisation – so please share your stories at media@pcyc.org.au.

Phil Schultz Chief Executive Officer

Coming up

Upcoming PCYC Queensland activities 12 April

| PCYC Lottery #89 closes

3 - 14 April | Queensland Youth Week 9 June

| PCYC embRACE

13 July

| ESC Cadet Games

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Team Newsletter February 2019

Zone 1 – Far North Queensland Jo-Nesha’s journey from PCYC Cairns to the Australian Institute of Sport!

Last Festive season, PCYC Queensland shared Jo-Nesha’s story, and after such a positive response, we wanted to give you an update on her journey. Now 15 years old, Jo‑Nesha began her PCYC Queensland story by participating in our different sports programs. After recognising her leadership potential, she was offered opportunities to participate in programs such as Participate, Lead, Champion (PLC) program, Level 1 of the State Youth Leadership Program (SYLP), and Duke of Edinburgh International Awards Program.

Jo-Nesha was involved in the ‘We all dance – 3M project’ that PCYC Queensland and a group of Cairns services implemented to improve community engagement.

As a result, she was invited to participate in the ‘Change Starts With Us’ clip and perform with the Brisbane Ballet when they performed in Cairns.

Her experiences with PCYC Queensland have left a lasting impression on Jo‑Nesha and she continues to have a positive impact on other young members in her local community, using her leadership skills and strategies. Jo-Nesha has continued to use sport for positive choice and working towards her goal of going to the 2020 Olympics for sprinting and excitingly, this year gained a part-scholarship to Canberra Girls Grammar in order to attend the Australian Institute of Sport.

Jo‑Nesha has also been accepted into the Raise the Bar program, a joint initiative between Athletics Australia and Melbourne University Sport that provides Indigenous school students the chance to discover pathways to studying and participation through high performance sport. Congratulations Jo-Nesha!

PCYC Queensland in Hope Vale celebrates Australia Day Awards This year, the Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council hosted their inaugural Australia Day awards, and PCYC Queensland was one of the lucky award winners, receiving the ‘Community Event of the Year’ award for the Three Rivers Rugby League Grand Final. The grand final saw surrounding communities come together and enjoy the event, with both junior and senior football teams competing.

The award is a testament to all the hard work and dedication throughout last season’s competition, and special mentions must go to the PCYC Queensland Sports and Recreation Officers, the coaches, managers, participants and all the volunteers from both the Cooktown and Wujal Wujal communities, who made the season possible!

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Zone 2 – North Queensland PCYC Bowen R.U.B.Y Crew head to Magnetic Island Recently, members of the senior R.U.B.Y crew (Representing and Uniting Bowen Youth) along with some of the junior crew, headed to Magnetic Island for an intensive training camp. This opportunity would not have been possible without the generous support of the local Commonwealth Bank, who provided a grant to PCYC Bowen. The training camp was a great chance for the members to upskill key areas of development.

Thank you to the Bowen Commonwealth Bank for choosing the R.U.B.Y Crew to be the lucky beneficiaries of the grant!

The camp was awesome and all the participants took away valuable memories.

PCYC Mackay celebrate volunteers at Australia Day Awards This year, PCYC Mackay was proud to celebrate several of their valued volunteers who received nominations for Australia Day Awards. Trent Dyson was among the nominees and has been an important part of the club, as a karate coach for over 20 years.

A massive congratulations to Trent who was awarded Senior Sports Person of the Year!

The spotlight was also on Meecham Philpott, another valued member of PCYC Mackay who was nominated for Citizen of the Year!

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Team Newsletter February 2019

Zone 3 – Central Queensland PCYC Gladstone hosts ‘Thursday Arvie Barbie’s’ PCYC Gladstone has been getting out into the community, presenting Thursday Arvie Barbie’s! In January, members of the club headed down to the Millennium Esplanade for an afternoon of fun, food and activities.

The afternoon featured a free sausage sizzle, music, sports, arts equipment and games. The PlayStation trailer was a cool addition to the event, with an activity to suit all interests and abilities. It was great to see so many young people within the community coming out to the beautiful esplanade and enjoying the afternoon.

Braking the Cycle up and running at PCYC Rockhampton PCYC Rockhampton has had a busy start to the year with many young people throughout the community getting involved in our PCYC Braking the Cycle program.

On 9 January, PCYC Rockhampton celebrated their first graduate of the year, with many more to come!

Now offered at 37 PCYC clubs across Queensland, Braking the Cycle would not be possible without the support of government, community and corporate partners.

After recently receiving the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award in December 2018, it is wonderful to see so many young people within the Rockhampton community utilising the program.

Congratulations to our recent participants and thank you again to our volunteer mentors!

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Team Newsletter February 2019

Zone 4 – South West Queensland Blue Edge program kicks off at PCYC South Burnett The much loved Blue Edge program has kicked off again at PCYC South Burnett. Recently, 21 girls from Murgon State High School began the program by attending PCYC South Burnett. As the program continues the attendance is growing, highlighting the popularity of the program throughout the community.

There was a wonderful turnout from all the girls involved, and the program would not have come together without the support of local volunteers and local Police Liaison Officers. Thanks also to our dedicated volunteers who put together a great breakfast spread for the participants.

With the assistance of the Blue Light program and the Murgon Police, the girls will continue through the program and develop their personal skills. It’s great to see such an influential program launching within our PCYC Queensland clubs.

PCYC Logan receives upgrade thanks to Fallon Solutions PCYC Queensland clubs play a positive role in communities and late last year, PCYC Logan was rewarded by being a lucky recipient of a renovation thanks to the generosity of Fallon Solutions.

In December 2018, PCYC Logan was excited to see a new kitchenette added to the Youth Hub area within the club. It was all hands-on deck, to complete the project in one day! Fallon Solutions enlisted the help of plumbers, carpenters and an electrician to transform the kitchenette area. To install the new hot water system, bar fridge, fans and lighting, Fallon Solutions donated in excess of $6,000!

The new addition has excited PCYC Queensland staff and community members, many of whom have commented on the positive impact the facilities have made in the club. PCYC Logan’s Youth Hub is a pillar within the community, offering young people an opportunity to connect with friends and enjoy a safe environment for activities and programs. The facilities are also available for hire and staff are excited about the upgrades encouraging more individuals to visit the club and connect.

PCYC Logan was honoured to be selected for this generous donation, due to their ongoing work with young people and members of the community. PCYC Queensland would like to extend a massive thank you to Fallon Solutions for their donation and ensure their hard work will have a positive and uplifting impact within the community!

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Team Newsletter February 2019

Zone 5 – South East Queensland PCYC Sandgate announces member selected in WAG Team Future Squad PCYC Sandgate are excited to announce that Taylah Giles has been selected to participate in the Gymnastics Queensland Women’s Artistic Gymnastics (WAG) Team Future Squad for 2019.

As part of her preparation, Taylah attended an intensive training clinic at the High Performance Centre (HPC).

She was accompanied by her two coaches, Chloe who worked with Taylah throughout 2018 and Trudy, who will be her coach this year. At the training clinic, Taylah received invaluable technique training and advice from the HPC coaching team to develop and extend her skills.

Congratulations Taylah and the whole PCYC Sandgate gymnastics team on this wonderful achievement!

PCYC Mt Gravatt DoE success In 2015, PCYC Mt Gravatt was approached

by Runcorn State High School to run the Duke of Edinburgh’s (DoE) International Awards program for a group of Year 9 students.

Through funding from Energex, PCYC Mt Gravatt was able to support 10 students to start their DoE journey.

After completing the various requirements to achieve their Bronze Award, it was wonderful to see all 10 students successfully obtain the award. Following the initial success, Energex made another generous donation that allowed a small group of students to pursue their Silver Award. All members showed hard work and dedication to earn their Award together, which included a long and difficult hike in the Gold Coast Hinterland. Once again with support from Energex, three of the students chose to complete their DoE experience and achieve the third and final Gold Award.

The Year 12 students, Mohamed, Zeke and Gad are now all on the verge of achieving their Gold Awards.

Mohamed, aged 17, has been selected as School Sports Captain in 2019 and has recently attended State Youth Leadership Program (SYLP), where his biggest challenge was completing the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea.

Zeke, also 17, is his school’s 2019 Arts Captain, and after finishing school wants to pursue a teaching/arts degree.

The final participant is Gad, aged 18, who currently works two jobs and would like to take a gap year. Gad highlights how DoE has taught him so much about leadership.

Well done to all and congratulations on your achievements so far!

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Other News Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) in Yeppoon turning calamity into opportunity Last year’s Christmas vacation program at PCYC Yeppoon OSHC was turned upside down by an unexpected 10-day closure.

With the cooperation of PCYC Rockhampton OSHC, we were able to place many of children in the Rockhampton program.

Thanks to the PCYC Rockhampton OSHC team who accommodated children and staff and made everyone feel very welcome! Having our educators on board also helped the Yeppoon children settle into a new (and much bigger) centre, and it was great to see the children enjoying the advantages of a large service.

When the PCYC Yeppoon OSHC service re-opened, we again came together with PCYC Rockhampton OSHC travelling down to Yeppoon to enjoy a day of wet games and a giant water slide, to finish off the vacation program on a high.

Emergency Services PCYC Emergency Services Cadets celebrate Australia Day Awards achievements Congratulations to our wonderful cadets who were acknowledged for their service to community in the 2019 Australia Day Awards. Thank you so much for sharing your time and skills with the PCYC Emergency Services Cadets, these accolades are incredibly well deserved!

Youth Citizen of the Year Cadet John, Biddengen Finalist, Citizen of the Year Moira, Biddengen QFES Medal of Recognition Jack, Childers QFES Medal of Recognition Su, Cooroora Young Citizen of the Year Cadet Skye, Tara Indigenous Citizen of the Year Ruth, Toowoomba QFES Meritorious Service Medal Conor, Torres Finalist, Citizen of the Year Sue, Wolffdene

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Team Newsletter February 2019

PCYC Queensland excited to deliver the NBL 3x3Hustle PCYC Queensland is excited about our official partnership with the National Basketball League (NBL) to deliver the 3x3Hustle in 2019, to be delivered through PCYC Queensland clubs within Indigenous communities.

PCYC Queensland South Queensland Indigenous Programs Manager, Daniel Egan, is excited about the partnership to deliver the 3×3Hustle format.

PCYC Queensland supports Women’s Legal Service PCYC Queensland is proud to support Women’s Legal Service, who offer free legal assistance to women across Queensland who are experiencing domestic and family violence. All the staff are wonderful, and they do an exceptional job. They have a large waiting room where they offer free toiletries to support clients who are all in varying stages of crisis and stable/safe accommodation, and we hope our small show of support through two boxes of donated of items can help women in need.

“The 3×3 game is an exciting, flexible model that is adaptable to indoor and outdoor surfaces consistent with PCYC Queensland facilities located within Indigenous communities. Now PCYC Queensland have partnered with the NBL to deliver the 3×3 Street Hustle, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander players will have access to a clear pathway that could potentially start their journey from community to a state, national or international level.”

NBL Chief Operating Officer and 3x3Hustle Managing Director, Andy Crook, hailed the announcement as a big step forward for 3x3Hustle as they continue to expand on community engagement into 2019.

“3x3Hustle provides a pathway for all aspiring Indigenous basketball players across the country, whether that be at the grass roots with Street Hustle or all the way through to Pro Hustle at the elite level.”

The PCYC Queensland Youth Team started the collection and will continue to donate items to local shelters that help people experiencing domestic and family violence.

The Women’s Legal Service said “Thank you to PCYC Queensland for the generous donation of care packs for women and kids who visit our waiting room. These will be much appreciated!”

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Team Newsletter February 2019

Staff Member Profiles Lavenia Tuibua

Sergeant Billy Li

PCYC Queensland Indigenous Programs Partnership Coordinator

PCYC Whitsundays Branch Manager

Starting as a volunteer with PCYC Queensland in 2005, with the Healthy Lifestyle Program on Palm Island, Lavenia then moved into a Youth Worker position for several years and commenced her current position in 2009.

“I love that we can provide an avenue to encourage young people, especially in Indigenous communities, to engage in activities and sports. PCYC Queensland clubs often provide a one-stop shop for young people to engage flexibly with others in the community, and we offer a safe hub for people of all ages to come together.

PCYC Queensland not only offers community engagement opportunities, we provide a reason for young people to come together and stay active instead of engaging in juvenile behaviours.

“The highlights of my years with PCYC Queensland have been the opportunity to extend our footprint, not only advancing Indigenous communities, but in building our sports and recreation programs and youth support services. It is amazing to see the impact our programs and services make on the lives of the people we support on a daily basis.

“I am excited to see the continued benefits of PCYC Queensland’s changing culture, and the positive relationships growing between police, our clubs and the community. I am also thankful for the employment pathways we provide for local community members and being able to meet community needs.”

Sergeant Li boasts 14 years experience in the Queensland Police Service (QPS) and has recently made the move to PCYC Whitsundays, after a stint as relieving branch manager at PCYC Sunshine Coast.

PCYC Whitsundays is still under refurbishment.

"I spent seven months at Nambour before this role came up and before that was based at police headquarters as a plain clothes officer since 2009,” Sergeant Li said.

"I got lucky getting the opportunity to come to the Whitsundays.

"It is paradise. There is nowhere else in the world like this and the people have been so friendly.

"I started in December and my family moved up with me.

"The building refurbishment is a work in progress that will continue for a number of months, but hopefully we'll be in a position to be operational before the end of the year.”

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Team Newsletter February 2019

Volunteer Member Profile

Baby news!

Kaitlin Barwick

Congratulations to Natalie Poulsen from the People Team, who welcomed her adorable little girl Eden, into the world on Friday, 18 January weighing in at 2.8kg.

Mum and bub are doing well!

PCYC Gold Coast Kaitlin recently celebrated an amazing achievement, being awarded the 2019 Australia Day Gold Coast Young Citizen of the Year!

Kaitlin is also a semi-finalist in the QLD Young Achievers Award (Leadership Category), to be judged in late February.

As a member of PCYC Queensland for over two years, Kaitlin has developed her confidence, leadership skills and enthusiasm through her participation in the Youth Leadership Team, Duke of Edinburgh’s (DoE) International Award and numerous community fundraising initiatives.

Excitement is building for PCYC embRACE! Network 10 is joining us to promote PCYC embRACE on Sunday, 9 June. Major event partners Logan City Council is hosting the official media launch on Thursday, 7 March, then registrations will be available on the website. Once again, free entry will be made available to the young people PCYC Queensland supports and areas will be able to nominate fundraising for existing projects linked to local clubs. More details and collateral will follow shortly!

Sunday, 9 June 2019 Starts PCYC Beenleigh

Having completed her Gold and Silver DoE Awards in 12 months, Kaitlin has also completed a 100km cycling event for multiple sclerosis, represented Australia in ITU World Triathlon Championships on the Gold Coast and represented her school at a regional and state level within triathlon, cross country and AFL.

Fun obstacles

5k walk or run Finishing festival and more...

Leading by example within her local clubs, school and community, Kaitlin displays the true attributes, characteristics and caring and considerate nature of an inspiring future young leader, making her an extremely deserving recipient of the Gold Coast, Australia Day Young Citizen of the Year Award.

Register now!

Showing her gratitude to PCYC Gold Coast, Kaitlin said “Thank you for everything you have done for me over the past couple of years as it was your help that helped get me this award. Thank you so much, I was so honoured.”

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