www.wapcyc.com.au A word from the new CEO Mid West NAIDOC

A word from the new CEO
It has been a very demanding few months for both myself and all PCYC staff as we developed and launched our new
Strategic Plan for 2013-2016, finalised our financial audit, published our Annual Report for the last financial year and
held our Annual General Meeting in August.
I have also been busy visiting a number of Centres in the Wheatbelt, Kimberly, Goldfields and Great Southern,
talking with Centre Managers and their many community and service provider contacts. During a quick visit to
Broome I attended the Crime Law and Order Forum where PCYC was given a lot of positive praise and our presence
was acknowledged by the Minister for Police and the Commissioner.
It’s clear in my short time at PCYC that we have historically been “under-selling” ourselves and this is something I
am keen to change in the future. The more centres, staff and volunteers I get to visit, the more I learn about what a
truly unique organisation we are, and the significant and tangible difference we are making in the lives of so many
West Australians.
Another priority is to further strengthen our working relationship with the WA Police and in particular the Youth
Liaison Officers (YLO’s) that are working with many of our centres. The Federation and WA Police Judicial Services
Portfolio (and Youth Division) Executive are working closely to enable the placement and frequent presence of
Police YLO’s within our Centres.
There is no doubt that the transition of Police staff from the management of PCYC Centres was a significant step in
the history of our organisation, however I am extremely confident that the new working relationship will be more
beneficial for both organisations, as well as the thousands of young people we help.
If you are interested in further details about our organisation, click here to
download our PCYC Strategic Plan or 2013 Annual Report.
Alternatively, email [email protected] with your name and address and we will
post one out to you.
John (Jock) Gillespie
Chief Executive Officer
Mid West NAIDOC Award recognises outstanding contribution
We will like to extend our congratulations to Geraldton PCYC Centre Manager, Jill Bourke, who was recently
awarded the Non-Indigenous Female Person of the Year at the inaugural Mid West NAIDOC Awards.
The annual awards fall during NAIDOC week, which aims to push awareness of Indigenous issues to the wider
community. There are 12 award categories which recognise those who endeavour to improve the lives of
Indigenous people, ten of these being for Indigenous people and two for Non-Indigenous people.
This is a fantastic achievement and well deserving recognition for Jill’s commitment and dedication to providing
inclusive services throughout the Geraldton centre.
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$125,000 in Lotterywest funding for PCYC
The Federation recently received a funding boost thanks to a $125,000 grant from longtime supporter, Lotterywest.
The bulk equipment grant, which runs yearly and is an exclusive opportunity for PCYC, will support 20 PCYC Centres
and Blue Light Units across rural and metropolitan WA to upgrade equipment, in order to improve service delivery.
The funding will assist in the purchase of much needed equipment including laptops, office supplies and sporting
equipment.
Minister for Police, Tourism, Road Safety and Women’s Interests,
The Hon. Liza Harvey MLA, officially presented WA PCYC President,
Dr Sue Gordon with the Lotterywest Cheque at Kensington PCYC on
Wednesday 11 September. She also used the opportunity to meet
young people participating in Certified Training Courses at the
centre and spoke with staff about their involvement with helping
these young people turn their lives around.
“PCYCs play an important role in delivering services to youth,
particularly youth at risk, and the WA community benefits from
this,” Minister Harvey said.
The beneficiaries of the latest round of Lotterywest funding include
regional PCYC Centres Albany, Mornington, Roebourne, Exmouth,
Collie, Bunbury, Kalbarri, Kalgoorlie, Harvey and Geraldton.
Students of Leadership Course at Kensington PCYC with
The Hon. Liza Harvey MLA and Dr Sue Gordon
Metropolitan centres that will get a funding boost include Claremont, Fremantle, Armadale, Kensington and
Serpentine.
Blue Light Centres at Boddington, Dwellingup, Leinster and South Hedland will also get a share of the grant, as will
the PCYC Institute of Training.
Attorney-General’s Department says yes to YES
The Federation of PCYC has recently received funding from the Attorney General’s Department National Crime
Prevention Fund to roll-out its successful Youth Engagement Service (YES) pilot program to the South East Metro
Corridor. The YES program has been operating as a pilot program in Mirrabooka for the last 12 months and involves
a team of three qualified social workers who case manage Prolific and Priority Offender’s (PPO’s) in the City of
Stirling, as identified by the WA Police’s Youth Liaison Officer (YLO) in that region. The goal of this program is to
break the cycle of offending and achieve long-term behaviour change with the clients through holistic case
management and one-to-one pro-social role modelling.
A funding application for $298,777 for a 12 month program was submitted to the Attorney-General’s Department
National Crime Prevention Fund to replicate this program in the South East corridor and we are pleased to
announce we were notified in August that this application has been successful.
This new YES team will cover the areas of Kensington, Cannington, Gosnells and Armadale and the program will be
up and running by November and will be taking referrals from the WA Police YLO’s in December.
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Alice in Circusland provides a magical day at Geraldton PCYC
Geraldton PCYC held their annual performance this year based on Disney's
Alice in Wonderland with a circus twist cleverly called Alice in Circusland. The
performance was filled with circus tricks including acrobatics, contortion,
aerial silks, aerial hoop (lyra), trapeze, plate spinning and stunts.
Check out some video highlights of the show here
A letter of thanks to Geraldton PCYC …. (we couldn’t have said it better
ourselves so we decided to include this instead)
Dear Jill, Simone, Tegan, Viktor and all other official and unofficial PCYC
volunteers,
We would like to congratulate you on the fantastic "Alice in Wonderland"
circus production last weekend. We loved it! Our girls really enjoyed
participating in their first show. Such a wonderful effort of your time,
patience and skills. Thanks also to Chris who brought his wonderful expertise
and creativity to the show. It was a very polished and professional outfit
indeed.
It was a wonderful idea to include all ages and
skill levels in the production. Our girls really
enjoyed meeting the other circus class
members and being part of the larger circus
community at PCYC. April was really impressed
by the emerging leadership that some of the
older teenage members of the cast displayed
towards the younger members throughout the
rehearsals and training. Our girls came away
feeling inspired and part of something bigger
than just attending circus school on a Thursday
after school.
It was wonderful to see the energy and
excitement of the kids after that first dress
rehearsal on the Friday night. April personally
got the added enjoyment of helping out
behind the scenes.
Many thanks to you all, you do a really
fabulous job and are a great team.
Kind regards,
April and Wade Kalajzich
Bluff Point, GERALDTON WA
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Certified training offering a brighter future for youth in Northam
Northam PCYC began certified training in April this year, offering local young people the opportunity to complete a
Certificate I in Leadership Development. The course is designed to develop employability and interpersonal skills for
15, 16 and 17 year olds that are currently disengaged from traditional education and the work force.
The first course was delivered by Trainer Tommy Keefe and supported by Centre Manager James West, with some
great results from the first intake of young people. Due to the success of the program a second trainer, Dianne
Jokich, has been employed and she specialises in literacy and numeracy.
Of the 12 young people who started the program, two have gained employment, two have gained work
experience, one attends the Institute of Technology for 1 day a week completing a hairdressing certificate and the
remaining students have engaged in subsequent courses at PCYC.
This has been a great outcome for a group of students who had not been engaged in any type of formal education
in last three years. This program works closely with staff from Northam Police, Wheatbelt Education Engagement
and Transition team, Centrelink and the Department for Child Protection and Family Services.
Students on the current course doing a brick paving project to tidy up the learning centre area.
Community garden brings a smile to the face of Roebourne students
Thanks to generous funding from the West Pilbara Communities for
Children, Regional Development Australia, Roebourne PCYC in
conjunction with the Roebourne District High School have created a
community garden.
Over the last few months the students have been keenly planting and
watching the development of the garden.
The students are amazed by the different types of fruit trees and their
flowers. While in the garden lessons on literacy and numeracy are
included; with students reading the tags on all the plants to find out
planting and feeding instructions as well as assisting with measuring
plots and the spaces in between the plants.
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Variety WA continues its long-standing support of PCYC
Variety WA once again showed just how valuable a contribution it makes to improving the
lives of young people when it recently made two very generous donations to PCYC.
Variety donated a 17-seater bus complete
with wheelchair access to Rockingham PCYC
as well as a 2003 Toyota Coaster 22-seat bus
to Kensington PCYC. The value of the two buses exceeds $120,000—
money that PCYC has saved that can now be re-invested into its early
invention and crime prevention programs for at-risk young people.
The buses will be used to pick up young people who can otherwise not
get to the centre to be a part of youth programs, as well as for off-site
excursions.
Thank you Variety for your very generous donations!
Midland PCYC receives a boost for reintegration
A new program at Midland PCYC, funded by the Attorney-General’s Department, is set to change the lives of
troubled young people within the local community.
The Re-Integrate program will aim to connect with those at-risk youths who are participating in street crime and
anti-social behaviour and help guide them to a more positive and productive pathway in life. With Western
Australia home to the second highest rate of juveniles in detention in Australia and Midland identified as one of
Perth’s trouble areas, PCYC is hopeful that the program will have a significant impact on the local community.
Targeted at youths aged 10 – 22 years (with a strong focus on Indigenous youths) Re-Integrate will combine
diversionary programs with alternative education tools and engagement activities such as sport, art, music and
recreation, to give these young people a chance at a brighter future.
The 60-week program will run over 18 months at Midland PCYC, with the majority of participants referred to the
program from local high schools or the WA Police.
The program is funded by a $127,000 Attorney-General’s Department National Crime Prevention Grant, of which
PCYC was fortunate enough to receive confirmation of recently.
PCYC CEO Mr John Gillespie is looking forward to seeing the program have a positive impact on the Midland
Community.
“This program is specifically designed to support troubled young people and help them positively re-connect with
the local community through continuous engagement opportunities” Mr Gillespie said.
“We are hugely grateful to the Attorney General’s Department for funding this program, which we believe will have
a significant positive role in the rehabilitation of those young people in most need within the Midland area.”
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Volunteer Profile—Sharleen Ferguson from Collie PCYC
Sharleen Ferguson has resided in Collie all her life. At 10 years of age Sharleen
joined the Air Rifles Program at the Collie PCYC as a junior participant and
competed in various PCYC competitions at other centres, including Kalgoorlie,
Rockingham, Fremantle and Albany. In 1998 at the age of 16 Sharleen took
over the job of Air Rifle’s Instructor when the two existing coaches left. She
has volunteered her time ever since to coach the Air Rifle’s participants once a
week at the Collie PCYC and continues to do so. She takes great pride in the
awards and trophies the team has won over the years.
Sharleen has always been the first to put her hand up to assist when
fundraising and with the help of her mum, Denise Ferguson, has manned the
canteen at the Collie Show almost every year, selling burgers and chips to
raise funds for Collie PCYC.
In 2008 Sharleen was elected Vice President of the Collie PCYC Management
Committee (which is now referred to as the Collie PCYC Advisory Committee),
stepping into the role of President in 2010, a role which she still holds today.
Every year, along with parent helpers and volunteers, Sharleen takes her shooters on the bus to various
competitions around the state and she also manages all the fundraising for these trips.
Sharleen works for BHP Billiton and each year she nominates Collie PCYC to be the recipient of Match Giving Funds,
an initiative that sees BHP “matching” Sharleen’s volunteer hours at the centre with a cash donation. It has been an
integral funding boost for Collie, receiving close to $3000 this year from these donations alone.
At this year’s PCYC AGM Sharleen received a Dedicated Service Award in recognition of her outstanding
contribution to Collie PCYC.
Albany Rangers setting the pace at the City to Surf
Selected members of the Albany PCYC Police Rangers came to Perth as a group to complete the City to Surf event,
choosing to tackle the 4km course and fundraise for the Ryan Marron Foundation.
Dylan Andrews finished in the top 100 in his age group (under 12’s) of
which there was over 700 participants; Instructor Michelle Standley
finished in the top 30 of 200 participants.
Whilst staying at the WA Police Academy they even completed some
great community service, rescuing a dog that had done a runner from
its foster home and delivering it to a dog refuge home in Mullaloo.
Overall it was an amazing trip to “the big smoke” for these young
Rangers and we would like to thank all those involved who made it
possible.
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Circus Quirkus and Razzamatazz shows bring a smile to the face of many
PCYC proudly hosted our annual Circus Quirkus events in Perth, Albany & Bunbury in August as well as our
Razzamatazz show in Geraldton in May. Thanks to our generous sponsors, these events allow selected special
needs, sick, disadvantaged and at-risk children a free fun day to remember with some of the world’s best
performers astounding them with spectacular acrobatics, juggling, death-defying stunts and lots of comedy.
The yearly events are always a hit and guests young and old leave
with a smile on their face. All regional shows had crowds in
excess of 400+, with the three Perth shows attracting a combined
audience of 4000. Due to the generosity of sponsors, tickets are
given out by PCYC free of charge to selected young people (and
carers where appropriate) who for one reason or another may
just be in need of a day of fun and laughter.
Circus Quirkus sponsorship also raises additional funds for PCYC,
with proceeds assisting our organisation to continue to deliver
programs targeted at youth-at-risk, designed to reduce antisocial and criminal behaviour in the community.
PCYC would like to thank its partner, International Entertainment, for making this fantastic event possible, as well
as the hundreds of sponsors in Albany, Geraldton and Perth for their generous and loyal support.
Makaylah Larkin-Boys from Fremantle PCYC joins WA’s best gymnasts
Makaylah Larkin-Boys, at only four years of age, has been poached from Fremantle PCYC to train with WA’s peak
sporting body, which is none other than the West Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS). When the WAIS head
coaches visited Fremantle PCYC they were instantly won over by Makaylah; despite the fact that she is tiny, they
could see she is full of energy and potential.
Makaylah will now train at Challenger Stadium, which will allow her to reach the highest levels in gymnastics if she
has the desire and commitment, with her first potential competition being at the age of six. Her mum Jacqui is a
former gymnast and is happy for her daughter, commenting that it is an amazing opportunity for her to train at an
elite facility and that Makaylah is so excited that she is literally bouncing off things around the home.
Police Officer of the Year Award 2013
Do you know a WA Police officer who has excelled at his or her job? The Police Officer of the Year Award recognises
outstanding service by a police officer, over and above what is required as part of that officer's normal duties and
functions.
Nominations are now open and it is up to you to tell us why an officer is special! If you know a worthy police
officer, why not nominate them for the Police Officer of the Year Award! It’s quick and easy to complete a
nomination, click here to find out more. Nominations close 5pm, Monday 28 October, 2013.
www.wapcyc.com.au
Albany PCYC wins Outstanding Centre Award
Albany PCYC has outdone 21 other PCYC Centres throughout
the state to be awarded the JP Stratton Outstanding PCYC
Centre Award 2012/13, presented at the organisation’s Annual
General Meeting on 19 August.
The criteria used by the selection committee to “score” centres
for the Outstanding Centre Award are based on four main
areas: management and administration, youth engagement and
education programs, activities for the community and financial
stability and sustainability.
Albany PCYC Centre Manager Terry Eaton with Centre
President Rob Palm accepting the award on behalf of
all Albany PCYC staff.
Albany PCYC has done an exceptional job in the last financial
year, both in activities offered to the wider community and
programs targeted towards at-risk youth and young offenders.
The centre has seen a strong growth in recorded attendance rates from previous years and income generated from
centre activities has also grown an impressive 18%.
The Centre’s Strike II Act-Belong-Commit Youth Drop-in Program was also recognised at the AGM, winning the
inaugural PCYC Youth Program Excellence Award.
Geraldton PCYC a close second in Outstanding PCYC Centre
Geraldton PCYC was just pipped at the post, finishing as Runner-up to Albany PCYC for the JP Stratton Outstanding
PCYC Centre Award 2012/13.
Geraldton PCYC continues to go from strength to strength in both traditional activities and programs for at-risk
youth and young offenders. No matter what time of day or night, weekday or weekend, when you visit this centre
there are always plenty of people accessing the facility, which is a fantastic example of what a PCYC Centre should
be.
The centre runs a wide variety of activities, for young people and
adults alike, including gymnastics, judo, circus training and
women’s self-defence, to name just a few. Attendance rates have
grown significantly in the last few years, up an impressive 38%
from those of 3 years prior.
This centre continues to introduce new and innovative ways to
engage at-risk youths at the centre. Examples of which include
formal skate competitions and battle of the band event nights.
The Centre runs a very well-structured School Holiday Program to
keep young people entertained and out of mischief during the
school holiday periods.
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Geraldton PCYC Centre Manager Jill Bourke with Centre
President Ash Taylor accepting the award on behalf of all
Geraldton PCYC staff.
Natasha leads by example to take out inaugural Staff Achievement Award
While PCYC has many outstanding employees, this year it was decided to recognise one special employee each year
via the newly created PCYC Staff Achievement Award. The inaugural winner of this award is Bunbury PCYC Centre
Manager, Natasha Grosse, an individual that has noticeably excelled in her role since beginning her journey with
the organisation 14 months ago.
Natasha came to Bunbury PCYC at a time when the centre had been
under-resourced for some time, with a lot of hard-work required to get
the centre back up and running to its full potential. Natasha took all
this in her stride, working hard to refresh the centre, find passionate
staff and volunteers and get new programs established.
Natasha has been influential in developing a positive and supportive
culture in her own centre which has spread to other sections of PCYC.
She has offered help and support to other PCYC Centre Managers and
also supported Head Office on numerous occasions, which has assisted
all sections of The Federation.
Natasha has been instrumental in re-building strong relationships with
community, agencies and government, which is something that had
suffered during the transition of Police staff from the centre. She has
built a strong local committee and has formed an effective working
relationship her WA Police Youth Liaison Officer.
We would like to this opportunity to again congratulate Natasha as the winner of the PCYC Staff Achievement
Award in recognition of her outstanding dedication, leadership and service.
Just reward for volunteer’s dedication to young people
The recipient of the 2012/13 PCYC Senior Volunteer of the Year, Leisel
Knight, has worked tirelessly as a volunteer for the Northbridge
Diversion Program at Midland PCYC for the last 2 years. She is a
dedicated, passionate and enthusiastic person who has an innate ability
to engage with young people from diverse and complex backgrounds.
On any given Friday night you will find her and a team of young people
cooking healthy and hearty meals in the Midland PCYC kitchen for the
rest of the participants of the Northbridge Diversion Program.
Ms Knight has been described by her co-workers as a stabilising
influence at the program, and the young people look forward to her
presence and participation. She freely gives her time, culinary skills and
experience to enhance the quality of life of the young people who
engage in the youth diversion program.
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Kensington PCYC trainer drives successful program
Automotive Training at Kensington PCYC has been running for nine years and is the longest consecutively run
program by any PCYC Centre. The program is designed to identify and divert ‘at-risk’ individuals from antisocial and
criminal activities by providing accredited training to young people aged 15-19 in the nationally recognised
Certificate 1 in Automotive.
Most participants have left the traditional education system well before completion, finding themselves without
the necessary skills or qualifications to seek an apprenticeship or employment.
In 2012 Automotive Training had the highest completion rate of all
PCYC training Programs, with 56 students beginning the course, at a
completion rate of 93%. This is particularly impressive when you
consider that the majority of the students have not been engaged in
school or the workforce for some time and many face serious issues
such as drug dependencies and dysfunctional home environments.
The high completion rate can be largely attributed to the dedication
and skills of trainer Rob Hardy, who has been implementing the
program for the last four years. Rob’s capacity to engage with the
students coupled with his ability to gain their respect is impressive.
He is constantly developing course projects to challenge students and
he provides additional activities beyond the program to build trust
and teamwork within the group.
At the recent PCYC AGM the Automotive Training Program at
Kensington PCYC was one of two winners of the inaugural
Youth Program Excellence Award.
Trainer Rob Harvey with a graduating student at
Kensington PCYC
Gosnells Volunteer scoops prestigious PCYC Award
At PCYC we believe in the philosophy “what goes around comes around” and Shaun Mayfield, the winner of the
Junior Volunteer of the Year , is a great example of this. Shaun, who after being a member of Gosnells PCYC for
many years, believes it is time to "give back" to the PCYC "family" that he has
grown up with.
He volunteers 5 hours a week to teach young boys gymnastics, acting as a
mentor for the young members of his club, teaching respect, tolerance and
understanding. He also volunteers as a clown, supervises at discos, and assists
at fundraising events such as sausage sizzle days.
This amazing young man "will put his hand up" to help anyone and is a
fantastic role model and mentor for the younger members of his centre.
PCYC would like to thank Shaun for his dedication to Gosnells PCYC and
congratulate him on being awarded the PCYC Junior Volunteer of the Year.
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PCYC Awards
Thanks to everyone who attended the launch of the new PCYC Strategic Plan and the AGM on August 19.
A number of PCYC awards were presented on the day, with a list of the winners below:
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Outstanding PCYC Centre: Albany
Outstanding PCYC Centre (Runner-up): Geraldton
Youth Program Excellence Award: Automotive Training, Kensington PCYC
Youth Program Excellence Award: Strike II Act-Belong-Commit Youth Drop-in, Albany PCYC
Most Improved Centre: Kalgoorlie PCYC
Staff Achievement Award: Natasha Grosse, Bunbury PCYC
Junior Volunteer of the Year: Shaun Mayfield, Gosnells PCYC
Senior Volunteer of the Year: Leisel Knight, Midland PCYC
Gymnastics (2012): 1st Rockingham PCYC, 2nd Albany PCYC
Air Rifles (2012): 1st Quairading PCYC, 2nd Kalgoorlie PCYC
L-R Kalgoorlie PCYC Centre Manager Daniel Ogle and President Esther Roadnight , PCYC President Dr Sue Gordon and
Kensington PCYC staff Janet Gee and Rob Hardy, Quairading Air Rifles Team
Life Memberships
Dedicated Service Awards
Jeff Croston—Albany PCYC
Lauren Shopland—Armadale PCYC
Wayne Mauger—Armadale PCYC
Stephen Chynoweth—Gosnells PCYC
Mark Upston—Kensington PCYC
Gail Triscari—Kensington PCYC
John Mogridge—Midland PCYC
Martin Chircop—Rockingham PCYC
Sonia Telfer—Rockingham PCYC
Jacqueline Quelch—Serpentine PCYC
Sharleen Ferguson—Collie PCYC
Ray Mawson Fremantle —PCYC
Arthur Ryan—Geraldton PCYC
Ashley Taylor—Geraldton PCYC
Janelle Pascoe—Geraldton PCYC
Oliver Murray—Geraldton PCYC
Nia McCully—Gosnells PCYC
Steven Clarke—Midland PCYC
Bronwyn Hicks—Subiaco PCYC
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As a not-for-profit organisation we rely on the generous support of donors, volunteers and businesses to help us
continue our life-changing work. You can support us in a number of ways:
Regular Giving
Becoming a regular donor is one of the best ways you can choose to support PCYC. Regular giving helps to keep our
fundraising and administration costs to a minimum, meaning more of every dollar raised can go directly towards
assisting youth-at-risk.
One-off donation
Do you want to reduce your tax bill, or maybe you like the flexibility of a one-off gift? You can donate to PCYC
anytime via cash, cheque, direct deposit or credit card online or over the phone.
In-kind donations
All our centres are really appreciative of any new or used items in good condition (such as computers, electrical &
sporting equipment).
Raffle
Call 1300 265 162 to purchase some “lucky numbers” in our regular raffles, for the chance to win $26, 000 worth of
CASH prizes.
Payroll Giving
The initiative of many employers, a payroll-donation program allows staff to make an easy, regular donation to
their chosen charity, such as PCYC. For employers, a payroll giving program offers the opportunity to make a
significant and lasting impact on the work of PCYC, through a direct tax deductible donation from participating
employees’ pay. Any employer with staff can start a program.
Bequest
A gift of a bequest is a gift of tomorrow.
One of the most important ways you can help the work of PCYC in the future is by including a bequest (gift) in your
Will. After you have made provision for your family & friends, you may like to consider PCYC.
Corporate Sponsorship
PCYC has numerous options for corporate organisations to support key programs, including opportunities for
naming rights.
Volunteer
PCYC, including Blue Light and Police Rangers, relies on the help of around 500 volunteers each year to ensure our
activities run smoothly and safely. Volunteers also reduce the economic burden on centres, meaning fees can be
kept low and affordable to all.
To find out more about supporting PCYC contact us today on 9367 2733 or email [email protected]
www.wapcyc.com.au