Team Connect
Team Newsletter January/February 2021
Message from CEO Welcome to 2021! As we embrace the year ahead, I look forward to sharing stories and events from our clubs and members across the state. Congratulations to this year’s first group of participants who have successfully completed their SYLP 1 adventure at PCYC Bornhoffen. I would also like to thank all those involved in our Containers for Change scheme, helping us to raise much needed funds for our clubs and communities. We have many events to look forward to this year including our PCYC Queensland Charity Golf Day, our Deadly 3s Indigenous Basketball Tournament, Bunburra Touch Football Tournament and the opening of our brand new PCYC Logan facility at Cronulla Park. Please continue to post your photos and news through our Yammer platform, it is great to see so many positive stories being shared. Phil Schultz Chief Executive Officer
Key Dates 8 Mar
| International Women’s Day
19 Mar | PCYC Queensland Charity Golf Day 27 Mar | Deadly 3s
State Youth Leadership Program – SYLP 1 January 2021 On 18 January 2021, 30 young leaders selected from PCYC Queensland clubs across the state came together at PCYC Bornhoffen in the Gold Coast Hinterland, for a week of challenges, adventure-based learning and the opportunity to make lifelong connections through our State Youth Leadership Program (SYLP). Now in its ninth year, the State Youth Leadership Program is PCYC Queensland’s personal development and leadership training program designed to develop leaders, and give young people aged between 1425 the opportunity to step out of their comfort zone and develop skills that are useful in school, community, work and life. Throughout the week, the 30 young participants took part in activities to encourage them to lead themselves first and take an active role within a team environment. We look forward to these young leaders becoming more involved with their local PCYC Queensland clubs and apply what they have learnt to real life situations, leading themselves and others in their schools, clubs and in the community!
Building safer, healthier communities through youth development
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Team Newsletter January/February 2021
Far North Queensland PCYC Cairns Duke of Ed participant completing her Gold Award Congratulations to PCYC Cairns member Kelsey Knill who is currently completing her Duke of Edinburgh’s International Gold Award and has been selected for the PCYC Kokoda Trek in September 2021.
PCYC Aurukun members to attend the Indigenous Youth Mobility Pathways Project PCYC Aurukun is excited that four young members have been selected to further their education through the Indigenous Youth Mobility Pathways Project (IYMP)! Funded through the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA), the IYMP is an innovative project which supports young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from regional and remote communities to pursue their dreams and achieve their long-term career goals. Congratulations girls and good luck!
“The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award has really helped surround me with likeminded people. Some of my best memories have come from participating in the Award and I couldn’t be more thankful,” said Kelsey. “I have had a lot of opportunities from being involved in this program at PCYC Cairns and I would encourage anyone to get involved. The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award has helped me recognise and appreciate my skills and talents and has overall made me a more confident person.”
PCYC Innisfail member achieves first licence through Braking the Cycle Congratulations to Shai for being PCYC Innisfail’s very first Braking the Cycle program participant to achieve his licence! Shai joined the program at the beginning of September 2020, and after recently achieving his P’s he is excited about all the doors that have opened for him and is enjoying the freedom now that he is able to drive. He also says a big thank you to all the volunteers that donate their time to this amazing program.
Building safer, healthier communities through youth development
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Team Newsletter January/February 2021
North Queensland
PCYC Palm Island supports Cathy Freeman Foundation PCYC Palm Island supported the Cathy Freeman Foundation Back to School breakfast and march, to celebrate going back to school and the key messages that school starts at home and education changes lives!
PCYC Mackay Indigenous basketball teams Grand Final winners Congratulations to our two PCYC Mackay Indigenous basketball teams, the Women’s Marabisda and Men’s Balas teams who both took out the Grand Finals in the recent Australia Day Carnival Basketball Competition.
They were very close games with both teams winning only by one point! Congratulations to both teams and all the volunteer coaches and managers involved.
Building safer, healthier communities through youth development
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Team Newsletter January/February 2021
Central Queensland PCYC Capricorn Coast hosts Safer Communities Leadership Challenge Well done to the team for successfully hosting a Safer Communities Leadership Challenge for 16 young people aged between 14-16 years at PCYC Capricorn Coast. Designed for a mixture of peer leaders and young people at risk, the four-day challenge utilised activities to push young people out of their comfort zone including outdoor and indoor rock climbing, high ropes, caving, kayaking, raft building and other activities to build resilience and enhance leadership qualities.
Meet PCYC Hervey Bay volunteer Pennie Meet Pennie, one of PCYC Hervey Bay’s valued volunteers! ■ If you could only eat one food for the rest of life, what would it be? Mango! ■ Favourite TV series? NCIS ■ What song would get you on the dance floor? None, I don’t dance! ■ What’s on your bucket list? To tour around Australia and see our beautiful backyard. ■ Why do you volunteer at PCYC? I love the community spirit and everyone that works at and comes into our club is so friendly.
Building safer, healthier communities through youth development
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Team Newsletter January/February 2021
North Brisbane PCYC Sandgate and PCYC Deception Bay promote programs and activities Well done to PCYC Deception Bay Club Manager Sergeant Jeremy Arato and PCYC Sandgate Gymnastics Coordinator Paula Sargent for recently being involved in a local community video, to promote our clubs and activities in North Brisbane.
Club Managers attend Lord Mayor’s Afternoon Tea PCYC Bayside Club Manager Sergeant Tina Bowen, PCYC Mt Gravatt Club Manager Sergeant Melissa Gilbert and Zone Development Manager (ZDM) Steve Power attended Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner’s Afternoon Tea recently, held to acknowledge community organisations and their work during COVID-19.
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Team Newsletter January/February 2021
Brisbane / South West Queensland PCYC Inala holds annual Inala Cup PCYC Inala and Multicultural Australia recently held the Inala Cup, an indoor 5-a-side soccer tournament. With six teams competing from Inala, Logan and Redbank Plains, the final match was a close contest that went down to the wire with Logan edging out Inala two goals to one. Congratulations to the winning Logan team and a big thank you to Ahmad, Girmay and Sera from Multicultural Australia for organising and running a great event.
PCYC Maranoa SYLP participants Congratulations to PCYC Maranoa members Josh Pienaar and Callum Perrin who were selected to participate in SYLP 1 and thank you to Sergeant Dion Horn for taking them on the road trip to PCYC Bornhoffen! We look forward to hearing about the trip!
Building safer, healthier communities through youth development
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Team Newsletter January/February 2021
Gold Coast / South East Queensland
PCYC Gold Coast DoE Gold Adventurous Journey
Congratulations to PCYC Gold Coast members who recently completed their Adventurous Journey as part of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Gold Award. Emily, Megan, Saskia, Lachlan, Nick and Ryan successfully completed the Conondale Range Great Walk – working well together to endure very early morning starts to avoid hiking in the heat of the day. Everyone enjoyed sharing ideas and the wonderful scenery, waterfalls and wildlife, but agreed that leeches were their least favourite part!
PCYC Beenleigh team runs 50km to raise $55,000! Dedicated members and staff from PCYC Beenleigh recently undertook a mission to walk/run 50km to raise money for the club’s programs and facilities. The endurance effort took just over six hours as the team travelled through Pimpama, Coomera, Oxenford, Helensvale and Harbour Town to eventually reach the Gold Coast Broadwater. Congratulations to everyone involved, whose efforts raised a massive $55,000!! Thanks also to Councillor Karen Murphy, Logan City Council, AAOB, Sue & Grant G&L Formwork, Heather Christensen, Junior Quota and Vicki and Richard Lohrisch – whose support is incredibly valued.
PCYC Yugumbir OSHC The children and staff at PCYC Yugumbir OSHC wanted to uplift the lives of the elderly community who had been unable to see family and friends during 2020 and brightened the day of many residents at Regis Aged Care with handrawn letters and pictures. The residents loved the letters so much, they invited the OSHC children to visit the centre once restrictions lifted, which resulted in a positive and rewarding experience for children and residents alike. Well done team!
Building safer, healthier communities through youth development
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Team Newsletter January/February 2021
Profiles PCYC offers hope for young people who are disadvantaged, disengaged or disenfranchised by providing multiple pathways to show and assist young people towards alternative futures. I could not think of a more worthy cause to support than one that gives young people opportunities to feel confident and valued, to be engaged with the community and to create improved futures for themselves and their families. Given my background and extensive experience, I can provide guidance and advice to PCYC Queensland about best practices in community and stakeholder engagement and communication and marketing approaches that support both reputational and fundraising outcomes to help secure PCYC’s funding and, in turn, its valuable contribution to Queensland’s youth and communities.
Board Director Eva Ford-Murphy Head of Communication, Asia Pacific – Electrification, ABB How long have you been on the PCYC Queensland Board? I was proudly elected to the Board of Directors in November 2018. Please tell us a little about your previous career experience With more than 20 years’ experience in corporate communications and marketing, I have enjoyed roles across numerous sectors including infrastructure, energy, resources, transport, and community and government services. I have extensive expertise in leading large-scale community and stakeholder engagement programs, supporting organisations through wide-scale change, and driving customer interest and loyalty. What attracted you to the PCYC Queensland Board, and how does your background contribute to your position? The central tenet of PCYC’s purpose – building safer, healthier communities through youth development – is what drew me towards wanting to closely support PCYC Queensland.
What are you excited about for the future of PCYC Queensland? PCYC Queensland’s future shines bright because of the employees and volunteers who are devoted to working with young people, and people of all ages, to realise their full potential. The ongoing delivery and development of PCYC programs and activities means young people and communities across Queensland can continue to access services that support their social, emotional and physical wellbeing. This flows on to securing a brighter future for young people – this is what excites me the most and why I feel such a strong allegiance to PCYC. Programs such as RUBY (Rise Up, Be Yourself), a dedicated fitness program for women experiencing domestic and family violence, and Braking the Cycle, a statewide learner driver mentor program to help young people gain their driver’s licence, are life changing. Their continued delivery is only possible because of the PCYC “family” leading and delivering these programs, and the generous donations from the community and private sector, in addition to much-needed government funding. I feel very privileged to have been selected as a Board Member for PCYC Queensland. One of the most powerful values underpinning PCYC is to positively changing people’s lives. Many ‘at-risk’ young people engaged with PCYC branches and activities transition from being unemployed and engaging in anti-social behaviours to gaining employment and learning lifelong skills that support them in creating improved futures for themselves and their families. I could not be prouder to contribute in a small way to this tremendous outcome.
Building safer, healthier communities through youth development
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Team Newsletter January/February 2021
Profiles What do you enjoy most about working at PCYC Queensland? Working at PCYC Queensland has been a rewarding job professionally and personally. I am proud to have established some dynamic sport and recreational programs people can engage with, which have changed people’s lives for the better physically and mentally. You cannot put a price on good health! I feel privileged to be a part of that journey with them. What has been the highlight/s over your length of service? My highlight has certainly been selected to attend the Queensland Indigenous Youth Leadership Program (QIYLP) in December 2020. QIYLP is an exciting opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders aged between 18 to 25 to come together to strengthen their leadership skills and build their capacity to drive change in local communities. It was such an eye-opening experience which has inspired me even more to develop quality programs that my community can benefit from. It has put a fire in my belly to want to work harder and better for my community – watch this space!
Staff Arika Appleby PCYC Upper Ross Indigenous Community Sport and Recreation Officer (ICSRO) When did you start working at PCYC Queensland? I started working at PCYC Queensland as a Branch Support Officer in September 2019 and changed roles to being an Indigenous Community Sport and Recreation Officer in January 2020.
What are you most excited about for the future of PCYC Queensland? I am excited to see where PCYC Queensland can go with our upcoming events throughout the year such as Deadly 3s, our Townsville Golf Tournament and NAIDOC touch carnival again. We keep growing each year, and it’s exciting to see so many people being involved and wanting to be part of our events. Working for PCYC Queensland does not feel like a job, when you love what you do. We have great leaders throughout the organisation and some super passionate people. It’s no wonder the community love coming to PCYC Queensland clubs all over the state!
Building safer, healthier communities through youth development
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Team Newsletter January/February 2021
Profiles Club Manager Sergeant Rene Bond PCYC South Burnett Club Manager Originally from Mildura in Victoria, Sergeant Rene Bond is currently the PCYC South Burnett Club Manager and belongs to the Yorta Yorta people on her mother‘s side and the Dja Dja Wurrung on her grandmother’s side. “My greatest achievement in this space so far would be our Saturday evening crime prevention events, BYTE NITE. Since its inception we have seen youth crime in our area drop dramatically and most of all the understanding the local Indigenous communities’ struggles has changed the perspectives of the local wider community,” said Sergeant Bond. “The program has been so successful you can now walk down the street and see business owners greeting the local youth by name, this rapport is invaluable to the youth and their feelings of connectedness and acceptance within their local community.” “My best piece of advice to assist in breaking down the cultural divide is, understanding. People will reject what they don’t understand, people will be defensive about change if they don’t understand it.” “When you are willing and open to understand someone else’s perspective every aspect of your interactions and your reactions grow. The best way to achieve understanding is through the sharing of knowledge and the active engagement in expanding your own knowledge.”
Building safer, healthier communities through youth development
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Team Newsletter January/February 2021
Profiles What do you enjoy about volunteering with PCYC Queensland? I absolutely love the atmosphere of weekly events – the cadets turn up with their uniforms and are always so energetic and eager to spend time with their friends and new cadets, all while learning countless useful skills on the way. It is a wonderful feeling knowing you are part of an organisation giving disadvantaged kids the opportunity to be involved in something productive and fun. What opportunities have you gained from being connected to PCYC Queensland? Prior to my appointment, I extremely disliked social events with peers, and suffered with fears of ‘being in the spotlight’ and leadership positions. After a few months in my new role however, I discovered that a lot of that self-doubt and anxiety was something I could change. My confidence, social and leadership skills have since blossomed, and it is a powerful feeling to know this is no longer holding me back. What advice would you give a young person thinking of engaging with their local PCYC Queensland?
Volunteer Yehezqel Schuster PCYC ESC Gin Gin Cadet Why did you join PCYC Queensland? My first experience participating in PCYC activities was at Gin Gin’s Operation Ignite (concentrated two-day Emergency Services Cadet program) in February 2020. Before this I hadn’t really understood what role the organisation was playing in communities. Through Operation Ignite I enjoyed learning about the different services and how cadets could assist the community while being educated about career prospects in these integral emergency roles. Operation Ignite was the first PCYC Queensland led event in Gin Gin, and its success led to the establishment of the PCYC ESC Gin Gin unit at the end of 2020. I became one of the first people to join as an Adult Leader – with my application processed on the day I turned 18.
Take the plunge! I know it can be a daunting thought to jump into something that drives you to develop in areas that might make you uncomfortable, but sometimes you just need a little push! The amount of knowledge, support, and fun that you can experience as a cadet or ESC member makes it an opportunity that could really change your life. What is your favourite PCYC Queensland moment? Our Christmas movie-night late last year was our first community event, and the first time our Cadets had the opportunity to display their dedication and teamwork for the first time. Needless to say it was very successful, and our unit received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from the community on the Cadet’s behaviour and conduct as a unit. It was a very proud moment for all involved, and a great introduction for Gin Gin to see the constructive impact of weekly PCYC ESC activities.
Building safer, healthier communities through youth development
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Team Newsletter January/February 2021
Other News
Braking the Cycle licences achieved across the state Congratulations to all our Braking the Cycle participants across the state who have achieved their licences in the last couple of months!
Building safer, healthier communities through youth development
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Team Newsletter January/February 2021
PCYC Queensland in the community
Exciting to see our brand new PCYC Logan facility taking shape in the new Cronulla Park location…it will be absolutely huge!
Our Gymnastics Commercial Working Group came together in December 2020 for a planning session at PCYC Beenleigh, to discuss future growth of gymnastics in 2021.
PCYC Aurukun’s mural project continues, building on the themes of community, safe place, Wik culture, language and history while acknowledging the support in the community.
First Year Constable Caitlin Russell-Ahern was presented with the PCYC Community Service Award by Board Chair, Associate Professor Cassandra Cross and PCYC State Coordinator, Inspector Brett Barber.
Building safer, healthier communities through youth development
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Team Newsletter January/February 2021
There was lots of fun and giggles when kids from vacation care visited PCYC Nerang!
Congratulations to Reagan Williams, our Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award participant at PCYC Cairns who was recently awarded runner up for Youth Citizen of the Year in the Cairns Australia Day Awards.
PCYC Deception Bay gymnasts!
Congratulations to our PCYC Napranum Youth Club Manager Sergeant TJ Baker, on receiving his 10 year service medal with the Queensland Police Service!
Building safer, healthier communities through youth development
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