Indigenous Community Sport & Recreation Program ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Honouring the culture of communities that we have had the privilege of learning from and working with through the ICSRP over the 13 years has provided many opportunities for shared learning.

Andy Cassidy, General Manager, PCYC Queensland Indigenous Programs

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Over the last 13 years, PCYC Queensland has worked in close partnership with the Queensland Government to deliver the Indigenous Community Sport and

Recreation Program which is aimed at improving the physical, social, and emotional well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through the

delivery of sport and recreation programs that create healthy and safe communities.

PCYC has invested further into the Indigenous Community Sport and Recreation Program through its inkind contribution of approximately $1 million per annum.

This is delivered through access and resources utilised to coordinate and facilitate the delivery of communityidentified physical activity opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, that sit outside funded deliverables. This program platform has increased physical activity participation, recording more than 2,304,255 participation episodes across the program’s footprint in these 38 communities.

I am committed to working with the Queensland Government to explore other possibilities to support future growth in our program service delivery. This will ensure greater returns for the community that will continue to provide grassroots engagement in sport, recreation, and culture in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

GM Executive Summary

PCYC Queensland’s Indigenous Programs Team proudly delivers its tenth and final Annual Report which highlights the achievements of the Indigenous Community Sport and Recreation Program (ICSRP). The past 13 years have heralded a strong working partnership between PCYC and the Queensland Government to work across 38 communities to develop and deliver a range of sporting, recreation and cultural activities that support young people and their community to become healthier and safer.

The unique and dynamic proposition of the Indigenous Community, Sport and Recreation Program effortlessly allowed its grass-roots delivery across so many different and changing environments. The metropolitan, regional and remotely based program models could be delivered from a community building, a municipal park, a school oval or on a beach. The diversity of participation experiences

offered across the ICSRP sites managed by PCYC Queensland is evidenced by the 79 various activities/programs or event initiatives delivered across 35 communities with some 8,518 sessions attracting approximately 193,965 participation episodes over the past 13 months.

These communities have directly influenced the evolution of this program. The ICSRP has had the benefit of numerous staff working at all levels to design, influence and facilitate the numerous strategies seen over the past 13 years of delivery under the current program framework. The scope for achievement of the ICSRP extended across numerous strategies created through the experience, knowledge, and creativity of our statewide staffing team. Above all, the ICSRP was a portable experience which afforded multi-dimensional opportunities for capability development and participation experiences. This was further enhanced through the establishment of the PCYC ‘Active Communities Tomorrow’ small grants program, purchase of service arrangements to ensure that State/National sporting agencies and private contractors were directly delivering their product to Community. This in addition to, or in some circumstances as an alternative to, having a static Sport and Recreation Officer installed within each program location.

I take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank each and everyone of our PCYC ICSRP Team members from the Sport and Recreation Officers on-the-ground within each location through to the regional and state ICSRP Administration staff who were the engine driving the guidance and support to each location’s delivery of the program. Numerous employment opportunities have been afforded through this program which has served as a stepping stone for longer-term employment opportunities for many of our ICSRP staffing team. The hours of dedicated program delivery that these staff were responsible for is outstanding and appreciated. Like any successful team everyone had a position/role they needed to play to make the program work. This presented challenges from time to time but due to the ever-present passion and positive attitudes of our ICSRP team, a solution was always arrived at to ensure that the local community always received the benefit of this program for their members. I would like to especially acknowledge and thank my ICSRP Administration Team for the hard work and vision shared over the past 13 years as it was vital to driving the outcomes realised. The team served as a means of building strong and lasting relationships with many Queensland communities that ordinarily would not have experienced a PCYC service delivery platform.

PCYC Queensland is very grateful for the many communities, government and corporate partners and supporters that have been a part of the delivery of the ICSRP. Your input and enthusiasm has

Indigenous Programs Managers

Deadly 3’s tournament and BUNBURRA, our two annual competitions that foster community engagement and grassroots youth engagement.

Paul Phillips

Indigenous Programs Manager

North Queensland

PCYC Queensland in partnership with the Queensland Government and our First Nations people have enjoyed 13 years of programs delivered across 38 communities. During this time, we have had over two million episodes of participation. While a challenging program to deliver, it has been a highly rewarding time for our staff and communities.

In that time, we have seen the birth of our

The Indigenous Community Sport and Recreation Program has given young people an opportunity to represent their communities at statewide events. It has given a voice to young people across Queensland to all levels of Government. It has seen young people who were once program participants complete their schooling and become PCYC Queensland staff. The program has enabled a number of participants to take their first steps in leadership with participation in our State Youth Leadership Program and in the Queensland Youth Parliament through the Queensland Indigenous Youth Leadership Program.

As with all state-wide programs of this type, our success rests on the shoulders of our front-line community-based staff. Their passion, dedication and commitment to their communities is second to none. They faced challenges of weather, remoteness and resourcing and still managed to deliver a quality,

sustainable sport and recreation program. In 2020-21 the impacts of COVID-19 restrictions on service delivery and sports weighed heavily on all communities. However, the amazing ability of our place-based staff to shift focus and support their communities with whatever their needs were was incredible, with pop-up schooling programs, delivery of educational material and food hampers to the elderly and vulnerable. ICSRP staff even manned roadblocks to protect their communities which was outstanding.

Lastly, I would like to thank the Queensland Government, our Community Councils, Auspice Communities and other stakeholders. Without their continuing support of a programs like this, communities suffer, engagement decreases and anti-social behaviour increases.

The relationships and friendships made over the last 13 years of the program and eight years for myself have been incredible. I wish all our communities the best for the future and encourage you to reach out in the future.

Dean Woods

Indigenous Programs Manager South Queensland

It is hard to put into words what the Indigenous Community Sport and Recreation Program has meant to me. I’ve been involved with the program for about eight years now and from starting as an Indigenous Community Sport and Recreation Officer to finishing as

the Program Manager, it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my working life. For a lot of staff, the ICSRP was more than just a program it was part of their life. A lot of ICSRO’s would regularly put in more than was asked of them and the program became a valued part of community.

Firstly, I would like to personally thank each and every ICSRO that has worked in this program since the beginning. Your passion and commitment has been the cornerstone of this program and words cannot begin to describe the thanks I have for your enthusiasm and connection to your communities.

This program has seen some amazing achievements especially the creation of BUNBURRA and Deadly 3’s, both of which PCYC Queensland will still be delivering into the future with support from the PCYC Executive Leadership Team and the board.

Secondly, PCYC Queensland would also like to recognise the ongoing support

provided by our partner sporting bodies for their care and passion during the program. Some special mentions go out to Basketball Queensland, Indigenous Basketball Australia, Netball Queensland and Touch Football Queensland.

The year also saw new ICSROs come on board in various locations bringing a new sense of passion and commitment to the communities they work hand and hand in. All the ICSRO’s that were onboarded did not skip a beat and delivered meaningful and community lead programs right up to the end.

I would also like to thank the Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport for their continued support of the program.

Finally, I would like to thank each and every community that has supported the ICSRP over the past 13 years. Without your undying love and support we as a team would not have been able to achieve the highs the program accomplished.

Management Team

compassion for their communities are nothing but extraordinary. They’ve always been supportive to the needs of their communities and innovative in bringing their needs to reality. What underpins this program is the great leadership and open communication that this unit has and the energy it brings to empower those that think outside the box.

Sean Brennan

Regional Development Coordinator

South Queensland

Another year and the curtains have finally fallen on such a wonderful program that has built up such great community relationships and delivered so many cool programs.

I’d like to thank all our Indigenous Community Sport and Recreation Officers for their efforts in maintaining such amazing experiences for the communities we’ve worked with. Their passion and

In November we had the NQ Brolgas Football team compete in the Queensland Indigenous Football Championships in Brisbane. Unfortunately, they only had two subs for the entire competition which proved to be too much for the team, losing their semifinal 1-0 to bow out of the event.

Now in its fifth year, the Wariganda Reconciliation Indigenous Golf Tournament was a tremendous success, with all staff involved bringing great vibes to the event. Twenty-seven teams of four competed in the 18-hole Ambrose event at the beautiful Rowes Bay Golf Course in late May, with another five teams taking on the 9-hole Ambrose event. The Rowes Bay Golf Club have been nothing short of brilliant

with their support of this major event. PCYC Queensland will be supporting this event moving forward, something the community will surely welcome.

We had a massive win on Palm Island with our 3x3 Basketball program. Partnering with Basketball Queensland Indigenous Programs Manager and Mackay Meteors Coach Joel Khalu and three NBL/NBL1 players, we delivered clinics to Bwgcolman and St Michael’s schools. The 3x3 youth competition teams swelled from 12 last year to 42 this year.

We did manage to secure funding for the Townsville and Mackay regions under the new Queensland Government structure which has allowed us to keep on Arika Appleby and Patrick Thaiday as First Nations Coordinators. It’s a new direction for us bringing with it outreach to smaller communities that haven’t had support from us in the past. The coordinators have hit the ground running and have already got great traction in such a short time which is a testament to why they are so successful in their roles.

whole community. From the skills I had developed in the four years I had been in another ICSRO position I was able to transition into the Regional Development Coordinator (RDC) role quite easily. The skills I had learned helped me engage with Community in Napranum, Aurukun and Mapoon and deliver outreach programs in the three communities with our awesome staff from PCYC Napranum.

Josh Peters

Regional Development Coordinator

North Queensland

Before I started in the Regional Development Coordinator role, I was an ICSRO in a small community called Mapoon. In that position I was able to learn and develop my skills and knowledge about culture and community as well as delivering quality sports and recreation activities for the

A Youth Week event brought the three communities together in Aurukun for a series of games that helped the youth practice PCYC Queensland’s core values of Respect, Leadership, Commitment, Passion and Teamwork. It was a team effort by all, and it was a chance to pass on the knowledge of running sports and recreation activities to the next generation of our Indigenous ICSRO.

Part of our outreach to Mapoon and Aurukun was to be able to build a good relationship with Community after struggles filling positions in those communities. This involved us traveling

to the communities and getting them to come and engage with us. From the first outreach to the last we had a big increase to our participation numbers, and this helped us stage a successful Youth Week event.

Over my short time of being in the RDC role I was able to work with staff at Napranum and help them achieve the goal of providing a safe environment for community to come and participate in sports and recreation. With a bit of guidance and examples on how to deliver sessions we have now got a responsible team at Napranum PCYC.

I would like to thank the Indigenous

Aurukun

Pormpuraaw

Coen Hopevale Cooktown

Wujal Wujal Mossman Kuranda Cairns West Mareeba East and West Townsville

Yarrabah

Palm Island Doomadgee Normanton

Mt Isa

Objectives

What the ICSRP aims to achieve

• Increased participation (playing and volunteering) of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in sport and active recreation activities in each community.

• A quality, sustainable sport and recreation program is delivered in each community (with opportunities for youth and whole-of-community).

• Increased capacity of communities to plan, deliver and manage quality sport and recreation programs appropriate to local needs.

Wariganda Golf Tournament 128 players

PCYC Queensland celebrated National Reconciliation Week with the annual PCYC Wariganda Reconciliation Golf Tournament at Rowes Bay Golf Club, Townsville. Now in its fifth year, the event welcomed 128 players in recognising the 55th anniversary of the 1967 Referendum and the 30th anniversary of the Mabo decision. Wariganda is the name given to this area by the Wulgurukaba people.

Ashley Saltner from the Wulgurukaba Walkabouts welcomed those in attendance to Country in place of Wariganda Ambassador Uncle Russell Butler, who could not attend due to illness.

This year, players were joined by PCYC Queensland Board members Graham White and Chris Emzin, Queensland Police Service (QPS) and Police and Cross-Cultural Liaison Officers, Townsville

Aboriginal and Islander Health Service (TAIHS), YALGA Cultural Mentoring Group, Wulgurukaba Walkabouts, Baywatch – Burdekin, Girudala Community Cooperative Society Bowen, Department of Seniors, Disability Services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Elders from Townsville regions, Stars Foundation, Garbutt Magpies Sporting and Cultural Association and Indigenous business owners.

The event also is the culmination of a five-week youth golf clinic for 16 young boys and girls who compete in the nine-hole tournament. This year, two young girls from the Stars Foundation took out second and third place. PCYC Queensland connects with troubled young people through their mentors, engaging them in the golf clinic and connecting them to the other players on the day.

What a day with these deadly lads at Rowes Bay Golf Club. It’s always fun playing an Ambrose day with these fellas” The golf is fantastic, but the banter between us is off tap. We got 13 under the stick, outstanding achievement and all played their role at different stages. Being Reconciliation Week, the annual event attracts different people from all walks of life. It is a great cultural event bringing us all together, whether you’re indigenous or non-indigenous. The highlight was seeing the two young girls and boys with troubled pasts. Standing in front of all of us and answering some questions about the programs they partake in. One question was, “Who do you see as a role model?” One young fellow said, “All these people in this room are my role models.” Whether you like it or not, we are role models to many people in our lives.

Kenneth Thompson program participant

The young people were allowed to share their stories with the playing group during the presentation, allowing them a vital connection to the Elders within their community.

After five years, it was great to be able to let all participants know that PCYC Queensland would be keeping this muchloved community event going into the future.

Local Indigenous Elders of Townsville have commended the event for its role in commemorating National Reconciliation Week by bringing together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and NonIndigenous people, creating relationships and fostering respect and opportunities within the group. The Elders also noted the attendance of community members who would not normally engage in social events such as these.

With a continued focus on the youth clinics and young people participating in the nine-hole course again, the 2023 PCYC Wariganda Reconciliation Golf Tournament is another successful event. Registrations for our 2023 tournament opened at the day’s conclusion, and the event is already near capacity. Thank you to the event organisers and participants.

Working in partnership with Queensland Government

The impact of COVID 19 continued to have residual impact upon consistent delivery of the Indigenous Community Sport and Recreation Program as we navigated community lockdowns and the cancellation of significant cultural events as well as communities’ apprehension to return to normal activities. As a result of the cautious approach, we found new ways of working with our communities that were responsive to what was happening on-the-ground during each stage of the pandemic. During this period of operations, our ICSRP Officers supported community agencies such as Education, Health and local Councils to engage with families in other meaningful ways to support them through the challenges.

Partnerships are a key to our organisation, and in 2021, there was much relief when we proudly delivered our first event for the year post lockdown. The Wariganda Reconciliation Golf Tournament event provided much relief around how communities were feeling about COVID and was the first time they thought they could come together for connection and celebration. Such a significant annual event inspired

Thursday afternoon. The competition ran for three weeks, and the final was played on the first day of the school holidays with over 100 people in attendance.

The Volleyball Competition had 10 registered teams of seven people from Napranum and Weipa, with many more attending training sessions.

The competition fostered a sense of community across many age groups. Engaging parents and community leaders with youth activities had been identified as a gap in PCYC Napranum service delivery. Adults could now encourage younger people to play fair and show good sportsmanship when observing the games. It was a natural coming together of the community for fun and friendly competition. The winners were rewarded for their commitment and hard work with trophies and certificates.

Big on Basketball in Woorabinda

September

During the September school holidays, in partnership with Basketball Queensland (BQ), Indigenous Basketball Australia, The Department of Seniors, Disability Services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and PCYC Woorabinda, clinics were delivered for young people to help improve confidence in a safe, positive and fun environment. The focus of the sessions was to introduce young people to basketball and expose them to different skills, drills and games. Part of the BQ Indigenous Pathways Program is also to identify Indigenous players, coaches and referees and get them on

a pathway to higher levels in sport and the young people certainly embraced Joel from Basketball Queensland by stepping up and taking on the sessions with enthusiasm and courage.

We get more and more every week. Different kids come along and they’re looking forward to it every Tuesday afternoon. They’re here before basketball even starts. They’re here before our referee comes from Baralaba and that’s a bit of a drive...there is a big change with basketball being here.

Kejanu Doyle, ICSRO, PCYC Queensland

Playing Ball on Palm

In December 2021, PCYC Queensland Indigenous Programs partnered with Basketball Queensland, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and Indigenous Basketball Australia to

June

In June, the collaboration continued with Basketball Queensland, bringing professional Basketball players Biwali Bayles, Freddy Webb and Taine Wattie over to Palm Island to deliver clinics to both Bwgcolman Community School and St Michael’s Catholic School and help run a 3 x 3 competition for youth and opens. Our Townsville Indigenous Community Sport and Recreation Officers Seanne and Arika were on hand to assist the young players in developing their skills, such as ball handling and more importantly having fun. With fourteen teams registered for the youth competition and four for the open 3 x 3 competition, it highlighted how much basketball has grown in the community.

PCYC Indigenous Programs started a collaboration with Joel Khalu and the Australian Indigenous Basketball team comprising Ricky Baldwin, Tyson Demos, and Jakobe Hunter several

deliver Palm Island’s basketball clinics and competitions at Bwgcolman Community School and St Michael’s Catholic School. It’s the first time this has happened on the island. With more than 230 young people and adults participating, the PCYC Palm Island club was bursting with energy, with significant engagement and mentoring throughout the day. The program also played an essential part in enhancing our relationship with the community and our ability to provide support for young people. It also improved community partnerships and developed the capacity of young people to participate in, and lead, future programming.

It’s about getting out there and bringing basketball to the community, specifically the kids in the schools. Teaching them the basics, we already do with the adults here on Palm Island. Our adults attend our annual event, the Deadly 3’s competition in Cairns. We always try to involve the parents making it more holistic.

years ago, with the intent of taking these clinics to remote communities to experience high level coaching.

“Indigenous programs and basketball are always important on Palm Island, along with many other sports. It teaches the kids sportsmanship and teamwork. But it helps them to gain self-confidence and the opportunity to find a new passion, learn new skills and allows them to grow, and build a strong partnership.

Seanne Santo, ICSRO, PCYC Queensland

Sean Brennan, Regional Development Coordinator, PCYC Queensland

2021 Highlights

A Sport and Cultural Exchange –Napranum, Mapoon, Aurukun

In April, PCYC Napranum took 15 young people to Mapoon for a cultural and sports exchange day trip. Qualification to attend the trip came through the All-Star sticker system, where young people are awarded stickers for adding to the club wall chart by attending, using manners, helping to clean up and making good choices. The individuals with the most stickers were invited to participate in both the trip to Mapoon and the second-day trip to Aurukun and were presented with a Youth Week 2022 “It’s Up to YOUth” t-shirt. Photo with girls from youth photo. The Clontarf Foundation provided a 4WD bus and Operations Manager, Aaron Gemmell, who assisted with supervision. Sergeant Steve A-R, Regional Development Coordinator, Josh and Indigenous Community Sport and Recreation Officer Regina and

trainees Domonic and Delena supervised the young people as they travelled to Mapoon. On arrival, they mingled with the Mapoon people before being welcomed to country by the Mapoon Council. The two teams had a female and male captain come forward and present an Art Gift made by their local artists and make a speech to the group. After that, sports activities and games were played, with a large lunch at the Wild Cape Café rounding out the day before they headed home. Many thanks to Mapoon Aboriginal Shire Council for their kind donation towards Youth Week 2022. Bus Photo

Also in April PCYC Napranum took young locals and six Mapoon youngsters to Aurukun for the second Cultural and Sports Exchange Day trip. An essential part of this youth Week Excursion was the “Gift Exchange.” Photo with boys exchanging gifts?

Games included basketball, touch, and indoor soccer, and then we added fun non-traditional games like the hoola hoop, reaction, and the donut-eating race. Aurukun had a team of 35 young people participating in the games, with more than 150 community members present to watch and support. We enjoyed a BBQ lunch together and then closed the day with words of encouragement on leadership from OIC of Aurukun QPS

Senior Sergeant Amit Singh, Clontarf representative Aaron Gemmel, MP Cynthia Lui and Mayor Keri Tamwoy.

On Thursday, the 14th of April, PCYC Napranum held the “HOOK, LINE & SINKER” Fishing Competition at the Napranum Boat Ramp. With over 100 competitors aged between 2yrs – 52yrs, it was a terrific day out for families in the community. Regional Development Coordinator Josh had arranged plenty of prizes from various local businesses up to the value of $5,000. The competition ran from 6 am – 6 pm, and our Breakfast Club member then cooked up a BBQ storm for the participants, and QPS enthusiastically took part in all aspects of the day. Two boys with fish photo

After a Welcome to Country from the Mapoon locals, the children played sports and finished the day with a big lunch at Wild Cape Café. The next day the young people from Napranum headed to Aurukun for another exchange. Aurukun Mayor Kerri Tamwoy, MP Cynthia Lui and the community elders welcomed them to Wik country. Cultural gifts were exchanged between both parties, creating a critical cultural bridge between the communities. The day concluded with a walk-through of the Akay Koo’olia Arts Centre, which is the Women’s Art Centre run by Cape York Employment.

SWAG (Short Walks Around Gardens) – Mackay

SWAG was created to cater for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders from all age groups to participate in a positive and physical activity like walking to improve their health and wellbeing.

SWAG is an event that takes place on special dates with different themes. Highlights this year included a Survival Day walk and SWAG Easter Hunt theme in partnership with Deadly Choices and Queensland Police Service.

Throughout 2021 my children attended the PCYC Indigenous Community Sport and Recreation dance program and holiday program with Patrick Thaiday. These programs have done so much for them. Besides the physical activities for their health and wellbeing it has also given them confidence to dance and talk about their culture. They even wanted to take their dancing to the schools and even spoke to their principal about it. They also gained skills from dance and learnt

Our participants are at the heart of everything we do

Children, young people, adults and elders are engaged at all levels of the Indigenous Community Sport and Recreation Program (ICSRP) to guide us to ensure that we provide the highest quality community programs and services through the delivery of targeted cultural social and emotional wellbeing programs. Through participation in sports and active recreation activities, we recognise that all PCYC Townsville, Upper Ross, and Mackay programs have become part of the fabric of community life through the authentic and very supportive relationships that our local program staff have with the community. There are three standout regional locations that we would like to spotlight this year.

Townsville East and West

Our Townsville East and West team has gone from strength to strength this year. We have three staff members based in Townsville, Sean, Arika and Seanne, who have exceptionally coordinated and supported various activities and programs, engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the region.

Deadly Learners Program

In collaboration with Good Shepherd Catholic College in Townsville, PCYC work holistically with the teachers to teach cultural competency and independence.

The program was run once a week to allow a safe space for our First Nations kids to learn more about their culture and gain the confidence to speak about it to their peers. We have seen each student grow in confidence and express themselves through newly developed skills such as drawing, painting and dancing.

Upper Ross & Townsville Community Boxing Program

The Townsville Community Boxing program is a program that is led by our Indigenous Community Sport and Recreation Coordinator Arika Appleby. The program provides a safe place for primary and secondary school students to go and let off steam while building trust and stamina with positive role models. The boxing program teaches self-defence, fitness, discipline and respect. The program aims to create networks like friendships and a sense of family for the students.

After-School Program

In 2021, the PCYC Indigenous afterschool programs were run twice a week in Townsville and Upper Ross. Different schools attended, including Garbutt State, Vincent State, Central State, Kelso State and others. The team and kids usually hang out at a park where they would have afternoon tea, enjoy sports or hang out. This allowed the team to create a safe space for each child and enabled the PCYC team to interact within the community.

I would like to thank Sean Brennan, Arika Appleby, and Seanne Santo for the opportunities they have provided our girls. Thank you for being such wonderful role models. You have made a huge impact on the lives of our girls.

Sandra Hopf, Mentor, Stars Foundation

Mackay

Rekindling youth dance program

Consultations within the community and Bangarra were held late last year and earlier this year as Indigenous Community Sport and Recreation Officer Patrick held an introductory dance workshop to recruit potential students for the program with 70 students in attendance. Rekindling was run over three gatherings focusing primarily on engagement with young people and the First Nations people of Mackay known as ‘Yuwi Nation Country’.

Our dedicated and highly respected team member in Mackay, Patrick, understands the importance of physical activity and engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to achieve this through dance.

This was an integral part of the Rekindling Program as the youth and Bangarra learnt invaluable cultural knowledge from the trainers. The students rehearsed towards the final presentation of their own creative works on stage on Yuwi Country.

Creative Arts in Dance (CAID) “ “

This program has developed over the last year and used dance to add value to young people’s lives by providing a safe and culturally artistic environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to express, develop and sustain creative abilities. The program enables participants

to further explore their culture, identity and connection to land, waters and skies through a creative lens. Multi-sports and games have been incorporated into the program to improve and maintain fitness in our young people. In 2021 the students, together with Patrick, delivered

Sabe Afterschool Fitness Programs

I have seen first-hand the growth from my child’s involvement over the past year. How confident and proud of his culture he is and where he has connected to his identity and really found his passion

classes and performances for schools and communities from the program and had the opportunity to display the skills they had learnt from dance at community and cultural events. The amount of pride, fierceness and confidence radiating from them positively impacts the community.

Previously known as the Sub Eh Dance program, Sabe is a Torres Strait Islander Creole/ Spanish term meaning ‘to know. The Sabe afterschool program provides participants with basic and all-important knowledge of

Tiwi Yow Yeh, parent of CAID participant

PCYC Queensland is tremendously proud of our achievements delivering the Indigenous Community Sport and Recreation Program (ICSRP) over the past 13 years. The Queensland Government’s Activate Strategy has redirected the funding investment to an alternate platform meaning PCYC Queensland regrettably ceased the program on July 31, 2022.

The Indigenous Community Sport and Recreation Program has allowed our Sport and Recreation staff to walk with the community, understand their needs and different environments and better support their approach to designing and delivering active sport, recreation and cultural experiences that empower the community. The ‘People, Places

and Experiences’ shared have been the hallmark of this unique grass-roots program. PCYC Queensland became recognised as an essential contributor to the community with the diverse range of activity experiences brought by the ICSRP.

The Indigenous Community Sport and Recreation Program nurtured a platform for strong partnerships to develop between PCYC Queensland and the recipient communities as we came together to design and deliver a grassroots program to support better health and wellbeing. This program has also been instrumental in employing numerous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within their community. They were supported by PCYC to develop their skills and knowledge. It

has equipped them to move into other employment pathways outside the ICSRP.

The Indigenous Community Sport and Recreation program focused on achievement of social, emotional health and wellbeing outcomes, capability to develop/deliver local activities and provide a platform for structured program delivery across metropolitan, regional and remote locations that were accessible for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members.

This program has been instrumental in developing numerous young ICSRP team members who have successfully moved from PCYC into higher-level positions with other agencies, making our team very proud to know that we have supported their growth.

Increased

Working in the ICSRP has been one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences of my life. As part of the program, I have been fortunate enough to play a significant part in the development of young people in the community for them to be stronger, more determined members of the future. Engaging with communities and empowering them with the ability to improve their health holistically has been one of the best possible outcomes.

Knowing that you have played a part in contributing to the positive wellbeing of an individual through the programs you have delivered is nothing but a fulfilment. No day is the same as an Indigenous Community Sport and Recreation Officer - the role has given me the opportunity to create positive social connections with members of the community. I have been able to play a part in empowering and educating individuals and have most importantly been able to give back to the community and support positive changes. The smile and genuine enjoyment on people’s faces during a program is more than enough to keep an ICSRO hungry for more. It was easily one of my favourite things about coming to work each day. I am honoured to be a part of such a fantastic program.

Angelica Jalali – Former Indigenous Community Sport and Recreation Officer, Mount Isa

I have observed the PCYC Indigenous Community Sport and Recreation Program for some time now and have seen many young lives inspired by the support of the team and organisation from the PCYC. I have also experienced the support offered by the PCYC to support and collaborate with other sporting and youth groups when times have been difficult around Townsville.

The PCYC Indigenous Community Sport and Recreation Program formed strong collaborations with other youth sporting and cultural organisations which formed a formidable environment with

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to the local community councils and the external Indigenous community agencies who auspice the ICSRP across Queensland for ongoing commitments to local communities.